It’s evening in a small tienda in the town of El Sitio, Guatemala, and Marí Hemelda Gomez and her daughters huddle together in a back room, perched on stools and reading in the shadow of a wall hung heavy with pots and pans.[/caption]
Each night before bed this family reads together, pausing only to help the occasional customer who wanders in. For Marí and her three daughters, reading is a family passion. Kelly, Marí’s middle daughter, loves books about science and history and is currently obsessed with Egypt.
“When I read about the past, I learn things about our present time,” the girl says. “And the ancient Egyptians remind me of the civilization of our past, the Mayas, which is another reason why I love this book.”
Marí’s eyes tear up as she describes Kelly’s love of reading and school. Education was a dream Marí lost early in her childhood; her parents died when she was very young, and the youngster had to drop out of school before learning to read. “I wanted with all my heart to go to school but I couldn’t,” she says.
So, when Kelly started school and was struggling to learn to read, Marí decided to learn how to read right alongside her young daughter. Each night they sat at their kitchen table sounding out the words together. “If I could show her that it was possible for me to learn, then she would learn too.”
Your support of Child Aid’s literacy programs at Kelly’s school is fueling her passion for reading. Kelly visits the school’s new library nearly every day, picking out new books to bring home to share with her mom and sisters. She’s loves it when her teacher reads to the class and she gets to share her ideas. Marí is grateful that Kelly and the other kids at her school finally have access to books and the freedom to explore and learn.
“I tell them that your own future is in your hands and this is why it is so important to value reading. With reading you can go far.”
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The great joy of our work at Child Aid is seeing literacy transform kids into eager young learners. When you make a pledge to give monthly, you make education possible for more children like Kelly and their families.