Storyteller Series: Meet Estefany*
A CB community student and her family
Families that live in extreme poverty often see school as an impossible cost. Even public school carries costs, including books, uniforms, and transportation. Because parents have not experienced the increases in earning, quality of life, and personal dignity that come from education, they don’t know what they are missing by pulling a child out of school to work instead.
This is why it’s a cycle: children who grow up without education are less likely to send their own children to school.
By providing a generation of Guatemalans with a quality education, we hope to replace a vicious cycle with a virtuous one.
Here is what this looks like in reality:
Estefany graduated from 6th grade at Casa Bernabe Christian School last year (2021). Since she started studying at Casa Bernabe in pre-kindergarten, Estefany has been a happy, friendly, and cooperative young lady. She comes from a very low-income family in the community outside of Casa Bernabe. During her years studying at Casa Bernabe Christian School, she has received support from both her family and the community at school. She and her siblings went through a difficult time a few years ago when her parents separated and they stayed living with their mother.
The entry to Estefany’s “classroom.”
The economic situation in Estefany family is very precarious. Her mom is only able to work 3 times a week, cleaning offices. However, she does not make enough to cover the basic needs in the home. For several years in a row, the family suffered significantly during the rainy season as water was constantly coming in during hard rains causing flooding inside their home. Estefany’s mom decided to take out a loan in order to fix her roof in hopes that her and her children would not have to continue suffering from all the leaks and water coming in and ruining things inside their home.
Sadly, though, shortly after taking out the loan, Estefany’s mom suffered a facial stroke and was unable to work for a time. As a result she was unable to make payments on her loan. Once she was able to go back to work, she realized that even while working, she was so behind on the loan that she would not be able to make payments on the loan and pay for Estefany’ education at Casa Bernabe. Estefany was deeply saddened because she really loved school and was a very responsible and diligent student. Thankfully, once the administration found out about Estefany’s situation, we were able to go through the process of providing her with a full scholarship in order to continue to study at Casa Bernabe! Her family is so very grateful for the opportunity for her to continue her studies!
With the help of our donor community, in addition to the tuition scholarship for Estefany, Casa Bernabe Christian School also provides Estefany with all of her books, materials, and any other needed resources in order to have the most success as possible in her studies.
In Guatemala, a young lady with only a 6th grade education would have very little opportunities for future work. We knew that Estefany had to continue to study in order for her to be able to break out of the same cycle of poverty that her family has been in for generations.
Estefany and all of her family share that this scholarship has enabled them to rest so much easier. Estefany’s mom is able to continue to work but she is now able to use that money to continue paying off her loan for the roof as well as buy the basic necessities that her family needs to eat and survive!
Estefany is very focused, determined, and grateful for the opportunity to study and join her fellow classmates every morning via Zoom. She wanted us to share that she really enjoys school and so thankful for the opportunity to study at Casa Bernabe Christian School. Her dream is be able to one day have a job that will provide enough for her family, so that her mom does not have to continue to work so hard to make ends meet.
She continues to make great grades and works really hard so that she is able to continue to maintain her scholarship!
Estefany’s dreams are to continue her studies and graduate from 3rd year Basicos, to then graduate from high school and study at University. She would eventually like to become a doctor and work in a hospital helping people. She would like to be able to buy a real house for her mom.
For months before Casa Bernabe found out about Estefany’ situation, the family had been praying for a way for her to not have to quit school. A person at their church came up to the mother and told her that he wanted to help by giving the money for enrollment and a few months worth of tuition. However, a week later that person told them he couldn’t do it anymore. That same week, Casa Bernabe informed the family that Estefany had been approved for a full scholarship! Additionally, CB had an extra package of books so she was able to start studying immediately. In God’s goodness and grace, everything happened at exactly the right time!
It is our pleasure to be able to bring these stories of real life impact to you. This is what your financial sacrifice looks like in reality.
(*names and distinguishing characteristics have been changed to protect the child’s identity)
