Jeronima

“Last year I was the best student in school, but at the end of the year I knew that I could not continue studying. My father is very old and he is sick in his leg, and only my brother can work to support my family, and it is not enough. Still, my desire was to continue studying. I spent days thinking about what I was going to do, where I could get a loan. I knew even if I got a loan I would need to pay it off for many years. I came to the conclusion that I had to start working. I planned to go to the capital to find work, or perhaps work in a tortilla shop in Solola.

At about this time my community committee elected me secretary of the committee. When I began as secretary, I felt very useless, because my classmates are all men. The only woman among them is me. They laughed at me, said I was not capable. Then I became desperate; the insults of my fellow committee members frustrated me so much that I lost all interest in life. I just wanted to go very far away from my community.

Then I heard that Candalaria (our mentor in Pnanjachel) of Starfish was interested in talking to me. My friend Rosa, who was already in the Starfish program, told me that Candalaria was coming to my house to talk to me! I waited for her, and she came, and we talked a lot. Finally, when she told me that Starfish was going to give me a scholarship, I felt I was the happiest woman in the world. I really feel very happy. Now I do not mind the criticism of people in my community, because my self-esteem is much better. I loved all the Starfish tutorials this year, and I learned so much. The most important thing is that Candalaria always motivates us to continue our studies and achieve our dreams despite the difficulties of life. Now I want to prove to the people in my community that I can do things. In the future I will contribute to the development of my community.”

Katherine’s note:

We met Jeronima and her parents during our recent visit to Panajachel. Her father is eighty years old and still carries firewood on his back up the rough roads of his village, in spite of a painful leg. Neither of Jeronima’s parents can read or speak Spanish, which is typical of their people. As a young woman completing school and improving her Spanish, Jeronima is already becoming the advocate in her community for a better life for her people. When asked why she wants so badly to continue studying, she replied that she wants to help her community. When asked what her community needs, her very practical reply was that first they need a better road.

Our visit with Jeronima has stayed with me because to me she exemplifies what an educated woman can mean to her community. I’m convinced that Jeronima has already opened the doors of possibility for her whole village, and that with each girl that gets an education in rural Guatemala the world will change a little more. She IS the solution. I could see it in her determined eyes.