ADIVIMA officials interviewing a scholarship applicant to determine if they meet the requirements of extreme poverty and willingness to work hard in school.
This woman is signing for her child’s scholarship check with a thumbprint. Most adults had no opportunity to become literate. ADIVIMA maintains strict accounting of scholarship funds which are audited by the government.
The Scholarship Partners have supported a tutor to assist students who are struggling. Amanda Taperia meets with all 60 students in their far flung communities to give them emotional and academic support.
Students attend the school and select the career of their choice. Professional degrees include teaching, accounting, computing, and business administration.
Delegates from the donor organizations visit scholarship students in their schools.
The scholarship program has been giving hope to students that as professionals they will be able to lift themselves and their families out of poverty.
They hope to rebuild their shattered communities by having the skills to demand their rights in the dominant society while keeping their hearts and souls in the wisdom and culture of their ancient Mayan heritage.
In 2012 the first seven scholarship students graduated from high school and now 78 have professional degrees in teaching, accounting and business administration. Several have gone on to university on their own.
In Guatemala public education only goes to sixth grade. For middle and high school, students must pay tuition, uniforms, school supplies, transportation and, in some cases, board and room.
Families must have no other source of financial aid and their poverty must be as a result of the war.
Girls are given priority over boys by 2:1 ratio.
Parents or guardians sign a contract that students will not work for the family during school hours. This creates economic hardship but ensures that families are as committed as the students.
Although the students come from many communities throughout this mountainous region and attend many different schools, ADIVIMA officials follow their progress rigorously.
School officials and students are interviewed every quarter to see that every child is succeeding and meeting the behavior requirements of a scholarship student.
Two to three times a year all students and parents meet in a General Assembly at ADIVIMA headquarters to review their successes and challenges and reinforce the importance of education.
Through their annual report, ADIVIMA communicates the progress of the scholarship program with lists of students in each grade and the activities that ADIVIMA staff engages in to encourage students and families to continue from year to year.
It is a significant economic hardship on a family struggling to get enough to eat to forgo the labor of an adolescent who could be working the fields, helping with the daily chores of cooking, cleaning and childcare as well as making items for sale at the market.
But all the students report that they help their parents after they have done their homework including having a weekend job.
Much of the work of the ADIVIMA staff is promoting the advantages of education, especially for girls who have few opportunities in a male dominated society.
Without the scholarship they would be marrying at an early age and succumbing to a life of poverty.
Girls are now graduating from high school as professionals in teaching, accounting, computing and business administration. Many have hopes of continuing on to university level.
Parents are instrumental in supporting their children both economically and emotionally.
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