Givology - give to learn, learn to give

Concepción and her family are from the small city of Santiago, Atitlán. Santiago is the epicenter of the Mayan Tzutujil group, and Tzutujil is Concepción’s mother tongue. Like the majority of indigenous women, Concepción’s mother never attended school, nor did her father. Both are illiterate and unable to speak Spanish. Concepción’s mother married at 16 and began having children at 17. The predictable yet devastating cycle of poverty has produced 9 living children (2 that died under the age of 2). It took everything that both Concepción and the family had to get her through the 6th grade.

Concepción is starting the 8th grade this year and is in her second year of the Starfish One by One program. Starfish One by One provides Concepción with a partial scholarship that ensures her access to secondary school (this is provided by an individual donor). This small scholarship is a critical component of Concepción’s ongoing education. However, Concepción still faces many daunting obstacles on her path to empowerment. Her parents are unable to help her in school and the “double burden” (school fees + lost labor) that her schooling represents is a continuous strain on the family. At age 15, Concepción is quite capable of performing the regular household tasks such as childcare, cleaning, washing clothing and cooking. This stress was particularly acute in 2010 when Concepción’s mother fell ill and she was quite near dropping out of school because the family could not afford the medical and educational bills, and Concepción had to assume a larger amount of the domestic duties.

What kept Concepción and her family focused on the long-term vision for her? It was her Starfish mentor, Wendy. Wendy intervened on Concepción’s behalf and convinced the family to stay focused on the long-term vision of an education and the difference it will make.

Concepción emerged from this crisis and is thriving in middle school and in Starfish. Her grades are excellent and she is a leader in her Starfish peer group that meets weekly. It is during these weekly meetings that Concepción and her peers received the Starfish Empowerment Curriculum. This includes: Financial Literacy (last year, Concepción opened up her own savings account), Reproductive Health, Environmental Stewardship, and Social Responsibility. Concepción also volunteers at a small children’s library in Santiago. Her dream is to become a business administrator.