Top

 

This sidebar is for new information you might want to add.

The photos are in for blocking only

 

Marcelino Ajuchán Xico, comes from Patzicia in the department of Chimaltenango. He is 25 years old and is currently enrolled in the second year of Systems Engineering. Although he comes from a very humble family, his parents have worked hard to provide all of their six children with an education and all six of them have graduated from high school. The father works as a mason and the mother raises small animals in order to contribute to the family income. Marcelino is the only child who has continued his studies at the university level. He began his studies in 2007 and worked half time in order to pay his own expenses but he was unable to continue and dropped out of school in 2008 for lack of funds. He was unable to study in 2009 but he learned about our program and applied for help. Now, in 2010 he is returning to his program in Systems Engineering. Marcellino has a lot of potential as a leader. He is currently part of an association of university students in his town that is trying to help other young people enter the university by providing them with tutoring and orientation. We hope that with our support he will be able to better focus on his studies and accomplish his goals with higher grades and greater success.

Angela Nathali Moran Chen is a 19 year old student in her second year at the national Nursing school in Coban.  Her family lives near the school and Angela is able to live at home and take a local bus or even walk to school.  Her father is university educated and works as a middle school teacher.  They are wealthier than most of our families and ordinarily would be able to pay her expenses in school.

Two circumstances have forced them to ask for our help.  The first is that all three of the sisters in the family are currently studying at the high school or university level.  The second is that because the father served as the co-signer of a loan, he is now having the payments deducted from his salary.  Our small contribution of Q200 ($25) a month plus a few additional payments for uniforms and equipment make it possible for Angela to continue with her education despite her family financial set back.

 

« Milton Rocael Manchamé Arroyo | Main | »
Tuesday
Dec102013

Abner Daniel Aguilar

Abner is 19 years old who was born in the municipality of Uspantan in the northern part of the department of el Quiché. His story is very moving and frankly seems incredible but he is consistent when he tells it and we have come to believe it is true. He was the product of an unplanned pregnancy and never knew his father. His mother married when he was about 3 years old and at first his step father treated him well but this eventually changed. Not only was he forced to work very hard but he was frequently beaten. When he finished primary school, Abner decided he couldn’t stand it any longer and fled from his household. Since that time he has survived on his own. At first he sought out simple jobs in order to eat and for a while he lived in the street. An important event in Abner’s life came when he met a man who taught him how to paint walls and simple signs. From this he discovered his talent and pleasure in drawing and painting. Soon this became his main source of income and he also began painting pictures. About this time Abner met several young people who liked music and with their help he learned to play the guitar. During our student conference in April we heard him play a song he had written and could see for ourselves how much artistic talent he has. Somewhere along the line, Abner managed to put himself through middle school and when we met him in Coban he wanted to apply to a high school program in construction drawing. He chose a school in Antigua because he had heard from his friends that this was a place where he could continue to earn money with his painting and music. We tried to discourage him from moving but he was determined and now that he is finishing his first year it seems that he was right. His school provides quarterly grades and during the first quarter he failed two courses and earned an average of 71. During the second quarter he averaged 78 with a low grade only in math. Then in the third quarter he averaged 91 with a 100 in math. After high school Abner would like to get a job with an architect and then eventually enter the university and become an architect himself. We are not quite sure how he is managing all this but we don’t doubt that he will keep moving ahead.