OUR GIRLS ARE MAKING HISTORY!

OUR SUCCESSES

• Four have graduated from high school- the first in their family and/or village. We have 4 more finishing this semester, looking forward to Univeristy
• One has graduated from university, had her thesis accepted and is building her business as an accountant
• One won first place in her state, country and international competition in Spain for her senior research paper.
• Our eight high school girls earned nine valedictorian medals and three escorts (second place) medals during 2007 and 2008. That is out of a possible total of 12 medals each year, competing against 45-100+ students in each grade level in the two high schools.
• In January 2009, the directors of the two high schools and the university explained that Spirit is the group parents want their girls to be part of. Reasons: our girls are the top of the class, support each other and have wonderful program benefits. This explains why we were inundated with applications for 2009.  
• We now have 21 beautiful young women writing their godparents about how wonderful their new year in school is.
• Each of our girls walk tall and proudly. They are Spirit Becadas! I have seen "overnight" changes.

BECADA'S LIVES AND HOMES

A major objective is to investigate the homes and families, for reasons of:

• The mothers have been in favor of education for their daughters. This has not always been true fro the fathers who want the income from their undereducated daughters. Discussing economics has help to change this attitude: do they want to retire on their daughter's 700 quetzales per month or Q5000? Their daughter gains value.
• Determine the family's economic situation. Most families are experiencing dropping incomes. Spirit needs to know what we need to do to support the becada in school.

The Homes

• a single room to several tiny rooms
• dirt floors to cement floors
• cement block to a few of scrap lumber
• NO interior plumbing, sporadic running village water or a well.

   Glendy's dirt floor and scrap lumber        Xenia and Mom: photo taken from outside

Blanca's Kitchen

Sandra's home and business: snow cones and chips

OUR FAMILIES' Incomes range from $60 to $200 with 3-10 family members living together.

• 80% of Guatemalans suffer from malnutrition. Ours families are in this group
• They lose infant teeth by 4 years and adult teeth by 15 years
• It has been a huge family sacrifice to attend middle school
• They have not had school books
• Bus fare to school costs up to $2.75 per day
• Parents and older siblings earn $3.25-4.00 per day, when they can work. There is not job security.
• A pizza costs $17
• A gallon of gas costs $3.75
• A pound of chicken $1.75