Creating Educational Opportunity for Maya Children

The beginning of the school year is always an exciting time for our Primary Education Scholarships project. As our sponsored students began classes in January, we hosted the first event of the year: handing out school supplies. Students and their families from our different partner communities flooded the Pueblo a Pueblo office over the course of the week, bringing their smiling faces and excitement for the year ahead.

Students from kindergarten to high school received backpacks filled to the brim with all the school supplies they will need for the school year. The backpacks make a huge difference for families struggling to afford basic supplies for their children’s education -- serving as a push for students to stay in school.

Now that the school year is underway, we recently held another exciting event giving students new sneakers to be used in their physical education class. Something as basic as a pair of shoes is often out of reach for many students, as Project Manager Johanny Quieju describes:

"Athletic supplies are a necessity that the parents are unable to buy, but that Pueblo a Pueblo can cover.  Many students have so little income that they are unable to purchase adequate shoes, and sneakers are critical for physical education classes, which complement students’ general education."

One of our sponsored students almost did not come back to school this year.  Ashly, a 6-year-old student from Panabaj, was devastated after her father died unexpectedly in December. Her father used to carry her on his shoulders on the walk to school every day -- and she did not want to do the walk without him. After the tragedy, Ashly’s mother told us that she was not going to enroll her daughter in the school anymore; doing so had become too difficult, both financially and emotionally.

After speaking with Ashly’s family, we encouraged them to continue sending her to school and to keep her in Pueblo a Pueblo’s sponsorship program so that Ashly could be successful and continue her education. Thankfully, Ashley is back in school, and she is very happy.  She recently received brand new athletic shoes along with her peers!