By Kay Sweeney | Managing Director
A week and a half of my Guatemalan visit has passed. The time has been full. Every day I have the opportunity to meet and talk with women and girls who have dreams of improving their lives.
Sunday, the young women in the Education Program, came for their monthly meeting at our Center in Chimaltenango. I talked with three who particularly impressed me, Clara Loyda, Sandra Cecelia, and Flory.
Clara talked enthusiastically about her courses in English. She is studying to be a bi-lingual secretary. Learning English is important. Her school is in Sololá near Panajachel on beautiful Lake Atitlan. Tourists from all over the world visit. Sandra and her classmates practice their English by giving presentations in English for the visitors. She sees this skill as important to her future success.
Sandra has dreams of being a doctor in the future. Right now, she is in a high school program that is preparing her for a future career in the medical field. She has a clear plan for reaching her goal. When she graduates this year, her next step will be to apply to a nursing assistant program. She then sees herself working as a nursing assistant and studying at the university to get her medical degree. Talking with her warmed my heart.
Flory has a story that might have led a lesser person to despair. Her mother died when she was very young. Her father is an alcoholic and she lived in an abusive situation. Despite all this she has made a life for herself. She has struggled to get an education and now, with a Kateri scholarship, is studying in her first year of high school.
She is sponsored by a girl who was adopted from Guatemala as a baby. The sponsorship was a birthday gift from her adopted parents. She is thrilled to be connected to Guatemala through Flory.
I shared her sponsor’s story with Flory and gave her a picture of her sponsor with her brother in their Halloween costumes. The smile on Flory’s face showed how much she appreciated the opportunity to know more about her sponsor.
This meeting was the highlight of my first week in Guatemala. I am always energized by participating with these young women who despite all obstacles are taking the steps necessary to improve their lives.
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