We have recently attended several graduations of young
people in Juarez, Mexico, whom we have helped with tuition and school-related
expenses. These are children coming from very poor families who would have had
no opportunity to receive an education if they had not received outside help.
It is very gratifying to see how seriously and diligently they applied
themselves to their schooling, and how they did not take the gift of receiving
an education for granted.
Aracely was raised by her grandparents, who took her in when her mother left to
go live with a boyfriend in the States. Being poor themselves, it was a
struggle for Aracely’s grandparents to raise her. At times they had no diapers
for her, and sometimes no milk. When Aracely’s grandfather died, her mother
came back to Juarez to attend the funeral, and that is the only time Aracely
can remember meeting her mother. Once in a while, perhaps every year or two,
her mother will send her $40, but that’s all the help she gets from her.
When we first met Aracely, she was about 9 years old and
not attending school. She just hung around her house doing nothing. She was
very withdrawn and wouldn’t talk much. But when we told her we would help her
with tuition if she wanted to go to school, she got very excited. That was five
years ago. Now she has blossomed into a friendly, outgoing and talkative young
lady. It has been a real struggle for her to get her education — at times she
and her grandmother did not have enough money for the bus Aracely needed to
take to get to school, and Juarez streets can be very dangerous — but she
persevered. She was so happy at her graduation, beaming with a huge smile from
ear to ear. We are very proud of her.
As these young people receive an education, hopefully it
will help break the cycle of poverty for them & their families. This is the
time of year when tuitions are due, and we had over 100 families sign up for
assistance. We are not able to help all of them, but we try to help the ones we
know will be committed and take their schooling seriously.