Meet Fernanda Sofia

6 Comments Embed
Watch the video above to hear the full story. Give this promising girl a terrific head start by supporting her scholarship.

Meet Fernanda Sofia
Sofia is a bright, 6 year-old kindergartener at Mayatan Bilingual School in Honduras.

She loves to draw, is learning to read in English and Spanish, and easily makes friends. We've stretched ourselves to offer Fernanda Sofia a full scholarship.

Sofia shares a tiny mud house with her mother, Maria Eugenia, surrounded by extended family.

Maria is a hotel cook who wants her to be a professional one day.

Things have been hard since Dad left the family. When they were together, the family earned $300 a month.

Sofia plays with her 13 uncles and aunts, many of whom are her age. She helps the family learn English and they sacrifice to pay books, registration, food, and transportation.

Why Fernanda Sofia?
Her mother believes in her education, and so do we.

Maria found a Spanish-English dictionary so she could help Sofia with homework. Before he left, her dad came in weekly to work out his daughter's admission and scholarship.

One thing that helped us take her in was the recommendation of Iris, a Mayatan graduate who works in a managerial position at a local hotel.

We hope that, one day, Sofia will be in a position, like Iris, to help others access the benefits of a Mayatan education.

What We're Doing to Help
Fernanda Sofia is receiving a world-class education from experienced full-time U.S. volunteers and a dedicated Honduran staff.

She will have many more options than her parents had, not to mention a social circle that includes students of all economic backgrounds.

How it Works
This campaign will cover the tuition to send Fernanda Sofia to Mayatan for one year.

Any funds over the costs will go first to Fernanda Sofia's other fees and then to other scholarship students for the year.

We will continue to need support for her scholarship in future years, but we will not remove her scholarship if she does not have sponsors.

Without funding, however, there is less money to offer new scholarships.

More Info
If you are interested in making a long-term commitment to Sofia's education, or if you would like to make a tax-deductible donation, contact us or visit our site.

Contributors' Messages

  1. Thanks, Mayatan for your hard work supporting this girl and others. We're giving what we can.

    Anonymous , Nov 16, 2011

  2. In honor of my friend Laura, and all those who contribute to this good work. Thank you for making a positive difference in the lives of children.

    sara raster , Nov 17, 2011

  3. Glad to see this way if contributing

    Conrad , Nov 23, 2011

  4. Buena Suerte, Fernanda

    Rebekah , Nov 23, 2011

  5. Thanks to al, at Mayatn for your great work!

    Odile , Nov 23, 2011

  6. Live, Learn, Play!

    Jacque , Nov 23, 2011