Alejandra’s Aspiration
Alejandra just started the first grade. She has been enrolled in Feed the Children’s programs since she was 2 years old. Her family lives in Ducuali, a tiny riverside community in the northwest region of Nicaragua. Alejandra’s father works as a volunteer firefighter. Her mother has a degree in social studies and is the vice principal of the local school.
The family lives in a two-room brick house, with a sheet metal roof and cement floor. Alejandra and her two older sisters sleep in one room, and their parents sleep in the other. The bathroom is just to the right of the house; it has no roof and is covered with plastic sheets. There is a small garden in the front yard where Alejandra loves to play with her favorite doll, Princess.
Even though she’s only 6 years old, Alejandra has big dreams. She wants to be a teacher and follow in her mama’s footsteps. Through Feed the Children’s support, she receives backpacks, school supplies, vitamins, toys, shoes, school meals, and preventive deworming medication. This is a big help, as parents in Ducuali often struggle to provide their children with all they need to attend school.
The family’s morning begins before sunrise. Alejandra gets up at 5:00 am. The family eats breakfast together, usually tortillas, eggs, and beans. She walks with her mother and sisters to school, about 20 minutes. School lets out just after noon. Alejandra spends the afternoon playing with her sisters, doing homework, and helping around the house. Since she’s so young, she doesn’t have very many chores; she feeds the pets, and sometimes runs errands for her mother.
In Ducuali, Feed the Children’s programs are enabling children like Alejandra to stay in school and finish their education. Parents often sacrifice to send their children to school, and children sometimes abandon their studies early in life so that they can work in the fields. Through providing uniforms, school supplies, shoes, and community support, Feed the Children makes it possible for more families to invest in their children’s’ future.
Alejandra’s mother told us, “We feel blessed because we both have a source of income, however there are moments where we can´t cover all the costs of our three kids. The Organization (Feed the Children) helps us by supporting the children in the community. As a mother I am very happy and grateful with the programs from Feed the Children. I have the faith that my daughter will always have food on the table.”
