Dina is a seventh grade student in El Salvador. She likes to play with her friends and help take care of her younger siblings. She can’t choose a favorite school subject because she knows each one will one day help her achieve her ultimate dream — to become a teacher.
But Dina has another dream she has to achieve first.
“My dream is to get to ninth grade, which I think will be very difficult for me. Sometimes I feel like I won’t be able to attend high school because of the economic situation of my parents, but I also know that studying could improve our economic situation and make my dreams of being a teacher come true.”
While public education is free, there are still costs associated with attending school, such as uniforms, textbooks, and school supplies.
Some families living in disadvantaged areas may face difficulties covering transportation expenses or other indirect costs. These can act as barriers to accessing education, meaning kids in El Salvador don’t always get to complete their education.
Dina’s father works in agriculture and her mother occasionally sells fruit to help make ends meet. Even then, Dina’s family does not make enough to thrive. “My mother supports him … so that my brothers and I have what we need, but it is almost never enough,” Dina said. “That’s why I’m happy that Convoy of Hope food … allows us to be better fed.”
In hard times, Dina likes to remember the advice her father gave her: Never give up and always work and fight to get ahead.
Every school day, Dina receives a meal from Convoy’s Children’s Feeding program. She is one of more than 76,000 kids Convoy feeds in El Salvador.
“[The food] gives me a lot of energy to study, play, and to do the tasks that I have to do without problems,” Dina said. Her favorite food at school is the mixed soup.
Because of your generosity, Convoy of Hope can provide regular, nutritious meals to kids like Dina all over El Salvador and the world. As Dina studies hard to continue her education and achieve her dream of becoming a teacher, her family can rest easier knowing their kids are fed at school.
