December 2008 Newsletter
Featured Student: Herlinda Guadalupe Cochojil Itcep
Pascual is 28 years old and the only child of two deceased parents. His mother died when he was a young boy and his father abandoned him for alcohol when he was only 12. Pascual has lived with various relatives over his life and is still in a precarious situation because he did not inherit land from his parents. He put himself through school and, against great odds, graduated from high school in 2006.
Pascual is now a Roots & Wings International scholarship recipient and studies school administration at the University Mariano Galvez. He hopes to open other schools in his region so that all young men and women have a chance to study and prepare themselves for a bright future.
Invest in Pascual's future. Donate $25 now
Changing Lives Through Education
Roots & Wings International recently finished reviewing scholarship applications and conducting interviews for the new academic year begining in January 2009. We are on track to double our scholarship program by offering 35 scholarships next year. Now, more than ever, we need your help to be able to continue changing lives through education.
Roots & Wings International sprouted from a promise I made to my students while working in rural Guatemala. These students were the first generation to study beyond elementary school, and none had gone on to university. I promoised that I would pay for the university education of those who graduated top of their class. That first year I paid two scholarships out of my pocket, and those scholars are now almost done with their university studies.
Today, Roots & Wings International maintains an office with three full-time staff - a college counselor, a tutor, and an office administrator. In 2009 we will be providing 35 university scholarships, free college counseling to all youth in the area, tutoring for 300 elementary students, and computer training for hundreds of indigenous individuals living on less than $2 per day. What started as a small promise between me and my students, now needs help from you.
Please consider donating as little as $25 today. That doesn't seem like a lot in the U.S., but in rural Guatemala it goes so far. Those first two scholarships that I paid for amounted to a small fraction of my spending money disbursement from student loans. For only $750 a student living in extreme poverty can study in university for an entire year and transform the future of their community. Please donate $25 now
New Corporate Partner
TECO Energy of Tampa Bay, Florida has recently committed to five full-tuition scholarships for four years. That's a $15,000 donation! TECO Energy's subsidiary in Guatemala City has long been committed to promoting education in Guatemala. TECO Guatemala has been investing in the communities where its two power plants operate, focusing primarily on promoting education with the construction of schools. Check out their work at www.tecoguatemala.com/community.
We look forward to building a long-term relationship with TECO Energy, and being partners in making a difference through education.
Buy online and $3 of every bag goes directly to our scholarship program. Just type "RootsAndWings" in the promotion code box. [Click here to buy organic coffee]
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