The Sisters of Mary in the UK

London, May 2025. World Villages for Children, a charity whose mission is ending poverty through education, hosted Sr Elena and Sr Margarita in the UK. Sr Elena and Sister Margarita are part of the Sisters of Mary, who deliver life changing humanitarian education programmes in six countries worldwide.

During the visit, World Villages for Children were pleased to have in attendance three of the children who benefitted from the World Villages of Children programmes. They are now thriving adults. Sthefanny, Marisol, and Fretch come from Brazil, Guatemala, and the Philippines respectively, and through their education have been able to live and work in the UK.

One of these graduates, Marisol, from Guatemala, heard about the Sisters visit on Wednesday 28 May and contacted her school in Guatemala, who put her in touch with the Sisters in London. The very next day, Marisol came to a meeting and stood up to share with supporters the great change the Sisters’ humanitarian education programmes have made in her life.

Sthefanny, who grew up in Brazil, shared her story with supporters, talking about how when she came to the Sisters of Mary, it was the first time she had her own bed to sleep in. She also shared about how the technical skills she learned at school enabled her to win a scholarship to university and work as a nurse technician to support herself and her family. When asked what made the biggest change in her life, Sthefanny responded, “It was love actually. The Sisters have donated their lives and you donate to our lives too. Thank you!”

Each graduate is now in a position to support their families financially and help lift others out of poverty. Their education and support into work after school with the Sisters of Mary programmes made this possible. Their presence in these meetings with supporters drove home the value of the education programmes and how children’s lives are being changed daily because of the support from people across the UK.

The Sisters trip gave opportunity to meet with old and new supporters in London and Leeds, where they were able to share their work with press and current supporters. The Sisters were pleased to meet Minister Counsellor Charge d’ Affaires a.i. Manuel  Lorenzana Baldizón, representing the Embassy of Guatemala in London, who has visited the programmes in Guatemala and spoke with passion about how much they help children in Guatemala.

These visits are an important part of World Villages for Children’s work to raise funds and raise the profile of the Sisters of Mary education programmes.

Thanks to the generous support of many people living in the UK, nearly 20,000 children every year have the care and education that empowers them to find work and support themselves, breaking cycles of poverty.  

For media inquiries, please contact

Carey Evans

Fundraising and Communications Manager

www.worldvillages.org.uk

cevans@worldvillges.org.uk

0207 629 3050

Notes to Editors

• Images of World Villages’ work available on request
• World Villages for Children (WVC) supports the humanitarian programmes of the Sisters of Mary who have established schools – the majority of which are live-in schools – for the most vulnerable children worldwide. They provide them with access to food, healthcare and shelter as well as quality accredited education and vocational training tailored to the skill needs of the local economy. World Villages has 13 secondary schools, one elementary school, five day-care centres, three medical centres, and one training centre for out of school young women. These programmes operate in The Philippines, Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, Brazil, and Tanzania.
• WVC, along with affiliated charities in the US and EU, provide the funding needed to operate these programmes.
• The programme supports children of all faiths or none and is accredited by the education authority in each country.
• The humanitarian programmes of the Sisters of Mary work towards 9 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, promote good health and nutrition and provide access to quality education for all children.
• Interviews with World Villages for Children UK Manager and the Sisters of Mary are available on request

 About World Villages for Children

World Villages for Children is an international development children’s charity dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty through education. With a commitment to providing underprivileged children with access to quality education, vocational training, and essential life skills, World Villages envisions a world where every child has the opportunity to realize their full potential and contribute positively to their families and communities, breaking the cycle of poverty for good.

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