A few years ago, as her classmates and brothers and sisters were getting ready to go back to school, 12-year-old Heidy knew she wouldn’t be.
She had completed elementary school, and now her family needed her to stay at home. The family’s financial situation had taken a turn for the worse. Of the six siblings, she was the oldest girl. Her older brother was close to graduating, and his education took priority. She could help with the family income and help with the younger ones. For the family, it was the painful decision that made the most sense. For Heidy, it felt like her dreams had screeched to a halt.
These are the heart-breaking decisions that families in Guatemala face. These are the reasons why back to school can be so complicated for children in Guatemala.
Heidy put her dreams on pause. But she didn’t give up.
Last year, she was finally able to join her younger sister in starting Junior High.
Heidy still works in the morning before her classes. She’s still responsible for contributing to the family finances and helping with her siblings. But right now, the supports she receives at school are enough to make the difference. She’s back in school. She’s reclaimed her dream.
“Heidy’s story reflects the reality of many children and young people in Guatemala,” says Heidy’s teacher. “Dreams threatened by poverty that do not disappear. Stories of sacrifice, effort, and faith.”
Today, at 15, Heidy continues to fight for her education with courage, gratitude, and a firm trust in God.
In Guatemala, the school year goes from January to October. As kids in Canada are getting ready to head back to school, Heidy and her classmates are in the last semester of the school year. But there are some things you can do right now to make the next back to school easier for kids like Heidy:
- Pray for families in Guatemala, that they will have the resources they need without having to keep children home from school
- Set up a Meals for Kids donation, because sometimes that meal a day makes a difference in those decisions
- Sponsor a Class, so that Vida Schools can continue offering the comprehensive supports that allow kids like Heidy to stay or come back to school
- Sponsor a Child, so that each child knows that there’s someone who believes that they can achieve their dreams
“When someone decides to help, they don’t just transform one life,” says Heidy’s teacher. “They transform an entire story.”
This back to school season, will you transform the story for a child in Guatemala?