Amelia
Amelia and her four siblings were sent to an orphanage even though her mother and grandmother wanted to keep them at home. But the children were not attending school and the court found her mother guilty of poverty. We found a subsistence sponsor who pays $75 a month for their food and we put the four kids on $200 elementary school scholarships. Within three months the court allowed them to return home because BECA promised enough support to survive and keep the children in school. The oldest child, age 14 insisted on stopping school to work and help support the family. Amelia will start kindergarten in January when the school year starts. Each of the elementary school scholarships costs $200.
Marcos
Marcos is completing his first year of carera (10th grade) where he is studying to get his accountant's certificate upon graduation from 12th grade. His father had emergency eye surgery this year so Marcos is asking for a renewal scholarship to continue on to the 11th grade in January (school runs from January to November). High school scholarships cost $600.
Maria
Maria is graduating from carera (high school) in Godinez in November and is completing her training to be an accountant. Maria was born with a disability that was not corrected early, causing a gait that creates pain and limits mobility. A $600 sponsorship this year made it possible for her to complete school.
Pedro
Pedro has wanted to go to medical school since 6th grade and after 7 years of scholarship assistance, he started in January 2019! Pedro's cousin waited two years after high school to start his engineering program and with a BECA scholarship, he started this year.
Brinda
Brinda, a student from the village of Patzaj, has done really well this year in her first year of basico (7th grade). She was interviewed recently by one of our volunteers, a physics professor who volunteers his time to teach science to elementary school students while his wife provides primary care in our clinics. He told us that it was apparent that Brinda was more educated than her mother and was able to fill out our new application form on her own. He said she is very bright and excited about school. She walks over two miles to school over a very steep and difficult road. She very much wants to continue her education. We hope to install a solar panel in her home in November which will provide two light bulbs and give her more family and study time. She has inspired the other children in the village and the only 6th grader this year, Cindy, has also applied for sponsorship so she can walk the two miles to school with Brinda next year. Cindy and Brinda were both recommended by their dedicated teacher who comes a long distance to teach in their rural village.
Others
Two brothers approached BECA tired and dirty from working in the fields. They had both graduated from grade 6 but the family could only afford to send one on to basico (junior high school). Both boys work with their dad in the field in the morning. In the afternoon one of the brothers goes to school. The other brother continues to work with the father all day. They have requested two scholarships so that they both can attend school and work half a day with their father. All money they earn goes to support the family.
Pooling some of our most generous donors BECA has been able to provide registration and tuition scholarships for six university students. Their studies included nursing, tourism, engineering, computer science, medicine, and humanities. Because of BECA's commitment to these students, they will not be adding any new post-high school scholarships for this coming year. BECA is committed to these students and wants to help them complete their educations. We had over 30 kids on scholarship for grades K-12 which is terrific and it was a dream come true to launch some of these village kids into universities.