Our Guatemalan Girls
What an amazing journey Emelin must have had when she recently traveled from the mountains of rural Guatemala to attend the United Nations “Every Woman Every Congress” as part of the Commission on the Status of Women. Meet Emelin Here
Speaking in front of a group of world leaders is not for the faint of heart, but one guesses this young lady approached her challenge just like she did when she visited with her town Mayor; with the determination that comes from knowing you are right. That what you are asking for is the morally correct thing, not just for yourself but for all of the Guatemalan girls in your country who have no voice. Fortunately, Emelin had access to the Mayor of her town. Either because of nature or nurture, Emelin realized that if she didn’t ask for the right to education and healthcare, nobody would do it for her.
We would like to introduce you to Emelin wanna-be’s. Girls who stood on the fringes of the small crowds that gathered when FFF volunteers were working in their villages a few months ago, each making their way to our sides, shyly asking for school supplies or uniforms so that they could attend school. These girls found their voices.
Maria, (L), first learned the art of traditional weaving at age seven. The girls in her village are valued for their ability to assist their families financially, whether through weaving, picking coffee beans or participating in harvests. Asking for the funds to go to school took all of the gumption she could muster. Maria has no role model for what an educated woman in her village looks like. She only knows that without scholastic skills, she also will be dependent on someone else to interpret the world for her, just as she does for her mother.
Estela heard that there was an FFF volunteer in her village who would help girls with school fees and supplies. She had successfully attended her local school and had performed well.
Estela knew that only a smattering of the girls in her Guatemalan region were able to finish middle school, but she was determined to find a way to meet her goal. The $250 required to purchase what she needed to start the school year was more income than her mother makes in six months. Inclusion into our scholastic program is life-changing for this young lady, and for the thirty-five other female students who now carry backpacks full of supplies and hope to school on a daily basis.