By Juan Pablo Hurtado | Project Leader
Unlike her daughters, Marita grew up in El Carmen, a small rural town near Chillán, in southern Chile. She was the youngest of seven siblings, and her family's economic difficulties kept her out of school when she had barely learned to divide. "I had to walk a long way to go to school, leave early, walk alone in the countryside," she remembers. She dropped out of school in sixth grade and, according to her, no one cared.
Marita (51) is the mother of Sarely, 28, and Jackie, 17. Her life has not been easy. After pairing up with Sarely's father, they lived together for eight years in a relationship marked by poverty, violence and constant disqualification. "He took what I earned when I started working. He was an alcoholic and violent man," she remembers. This situation led her to make a drastic decision: leave that relationship and move to Santiago, bringing her two daughters with her.
-How did you raise your daughters?
"Working and looking for help, without excuses. My youngest daughter, Jackie, faced bullying at school for her shyness and suffered panic attacks, so I sought support at the Betania School of the Súmate Foundation, where they took her in. Before, we lived in Macul, which was a quieter place. But a housing opportunity took us to La Pintana, where violence is more palpable and gunshots are often heard. That affected my daughter, but thanks to the support of Súmate, she now speaks more, is happier, and dreams of being a veterinarian. Who would have thought?"
Thank you for allowing more children and teenagers to carry their dream backpacks!
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By Juan Pablo Hurtado | Juan Pablo Hurtado
By Juan Pablo Hurtado | Juan Pablo Hurtado
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The Observatory for Educational Trajectories in Chile presented two important reports on public policies. These are two solid analyzes that help understand why many students do not complete their educational career successfully.
