Life would have been very different for Luis had he not been offered a school place with the Sisters. Born into a family of eight in rural Guatemala, he was facing a bleak future farming corn and beans in his impoverished rural community. He often worked seven days a week without a break, labouring on farms and doing odd jobs to raise enough money for his family to eat.
There was no time for school and the family often went hungry. Luis knew he wanted more from life and had a dream to study so he could fulfil his wish of helping his family. “Ever since I was a child I always dreamt of being able to study so I could have a better life”.
In 2002, that dream came true when he met the Sisters and joined the Zona 6 school.
“When I entered the school everything for me took a different direction. My life changed completely. It helped me to prepare myself academically. World Villages for Children opened up a new path for me with the Sisters. It prepared me to move forward in life and be able to compete on a level playing field” Luis reflects.
Now employed as a senior manager in a leading car maintenance firm after graduating in 2006, he holds down a steady job and studies for his master’s degree in Formulation and Evaluation. At work he leads a team of fifteen employees, four of whom are graduates from the Sisters of Mary school.
Luis is now married with a son and they have their own house. He has been able to support his whole family which includes financially supporting his youngest sister’s education and inspiring his brothers to become entrepreneurs.