Building a Home for the San Antonio Preschool

We want to extend a very special thank you to all of you who helped make last week’s Bonus Day such a success! Out of the 3,000+ campaigns that participated last week, your support propelled the San Antonio Preschool Nutrition Center into the Top 10 most successful projects. The momentum is building for the children of San Antonio, and we are incredibly grateful to each of you for being a part of such an amazing day!

What’s next? We are so close to funding the construction of the next two classrooms, and we need your help to get there. We are excited to announce that from Monday June 27th to Friday July 1st, GlobalGiving will DOUBLE the first installment of a recurring donation! Signing up for a recurring donation of $10 or $25 a month could never be more important: we ask that you stand with the San Antonio preschoolers to make their Preschool Nutrition Center a reality!

But don’t let us tell you why this is important, here is a story from Magdalena and her daughter Rosa:

Magdalena* follows her daughter Rosa* up the steep hill to their house in San Antonio, laughing at Rosa’s enthusiasm and energy, which has increased ever since she entered preschool the year before.

Rosa and her mother’s situation is not markedly different from many families in the community. As Magdalena puts it, “Some days there is food, some days there is not. When there is breakfast, we have breakfast. But many times, we do not.”

Rosa’s father’s drinking problem has gotten so bad that does not come home anymore, let alone work to help Magdalena support the family. Rosa’s three oldest siblings, aged 14, 17, and  20, have all had to drop out of school to find work as day laborers.

Recently, despite the difficulties of providing for her children, the future has begun to look brighter for Magdalena. Unlike the three oldest siblings, Rosa and her brother José are attending the new San Antonio Preschool Nutrition Center. With her youngest children at school in the mornings, Magdalena has more time to make a living for the family, and with the daily nutrition provided at the preschool, she doesn’t have to worry about them going hungry during the day.

The bilingual education that both Rosa and José receive at the preschool also gives Magdalena hope for their future. Magdalena understands the disadvantage of entering primary without an introduction to the Spanish language. “I left school because I did not understand. And because I was afraid,” said Magdalena, who only speaks her indigenous language Kaq’chikel. “Here [in San Antonio] without Spanish, there is no work. We cannot even speak to the doctor. I don’t want my children to suffer like this, like I have.”

“My wish is for [Rosa and José] to study because my other children and I could not. My greatest wish is that they will study through secondary and have good professions.”

Entering into Guatemala’s lengthy rainy season, Magdalena and her family still face many obstacles. “When the rains come, it is very difficult,” she describes, referencing the makeshift tin walls and roof of her home, “Sometimes I cry a lot.” But despite these intense difficulties, Magdalena is fiercely determined about her children’s right to a better future. “I want them to have what they want [in life]. To be able to eat what they want one day, when they want. To be able to work, to marry. I don’t want this life for them.”

What can you do?

To provide children like Rosa and José with the opportunity for education and daily nourishment, our Preschool Nutrition Center in San Antonio desperately needs to build classrooms, a kitchen, bathrooms and a library. Please consider signing up for a recurring donation of $10 or $25 to keep the momentum building! If you sign up for a recurring donation next week - June 27th to July 1st- GlobalGiving will DOUBLE the initial donation! Stand up for Magdalena and Rosa, and join us to bring lasting change to San Antonio.

*Names have been changed to protect the privacy of the family.