Most 6-year-olds spend their days in school, learning to read and count. But Lucia grew up in a household with a single mother who had to send Lucia to sell fruit on the streets of El Salvador and support her family.
At six years old, Lucia became known as “the little girl who couldn’t go to school,” and she was harassed for it. After a few years, a kind gentleman in her community offered to pay for Lucia’s schooling. Though public school in El Salvador is free, students still need money to buy uniforms and supplies. Lucia was finally able to go to school — but after a year, the gentleman passed away and Lucia could no longer afford to go to school.
A few years later, a woman named Isabelle started a children’s church in her home and invited Lucia to attend. Lucia came to Isabelle’s home every single week. Over time, Isabelle’s ministry grew to more than 100 children. That’s when she met Convoy of Hope. Convoy partnered with Isabelle to offer Children’s Feeding, Girls’ Empowerment, Youth Programming, and Women’s Empowerment.
In Convoy’s Girls’ Empowerment program, Lucia began to really flourish and thrive. She gained confidence and became motivated to work toward a better life. Lucia had never had the opportunity to learn how to read or write, but her Girls’ Empowerment teachers and friends encouraged her to keep working at it.
In Girls’ Empowerment, Lucia learned how to make crafts she could sell, like keychains and decorative pillows. After she graduated from the program, she started to sell some of her crafts and save her money.
At 16 years old, Lucia saved enough money to return to school. She’s now in the 4th grade. Though she faces bullying for attending the 4th grade with younger children, she perseveres. Lucia is a girl on a mission. She is committed to finishing her education — an opportunity she worked incredibly hard for.
Ten years ago, a little girl sold fruit on the side of the road to support her family. She missed so much at that age — education, friendship, the ability to really be a kid. But that didn’t stop her. Lucia saw the opportunity for a better future through Girls’ Empowerment. And she took that opportunity, and is now seeing the fruit of her labor.
