Pilot Program: Boys Education
SF Boys learn about finance
In 2009 Starfish began piloting a mentorship program for adolescent boys. While increasing amounts of powerful data and Starfish’s own experience demonstrate the powerful of an educated girl, Starfish also recognizes the important role that men play in creating the conditions that will foster a community’s escape from poverty and exclusion. Empowered and educated women in rural Guatemalan communities will represent a significant change to the traditional social structure and hierarchy. These young men are the brothers, future husbands and fathers of the next wave of women leaders. As such, they too are part of the solution.
The pilot program consists of 2 groups of 15 boys who hail from many of the same remote villages as the young women in the Starfish program. Like their female counterparts in Starfish, these young men would otherwise be unable to continue their education beyond the 6th grade. In many ways, this pilot program parallels mentorship program for young women; each young man receives a partial academic scholarship and personalized mentorship that will ensure his completion of high school. And like the program for young women, he receives information and support on subjects like reproductive health, personal finance, environmental stewardship, social responsibility as well as ongoing academic support. The mentor ensures that the information each young man receives is catered to him and his unique role as a male in his Mayan community.
Like the program for young women, the role of the mentor is fundamental in the sustained success of this program. The program is led by Greogrio Garcia who comes from the same circumstances as these young men. As the oldest of 8 children from illiterate parents, Gregorio has overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles to become college graduate, business owner, fluent English speaker and loving husband and father. Even more significant, Gregorio is modeling how he is changing the landscape of his community by paving the way for 30 more young men to achieve similar success.
SF Boys clean up lake as part of community service.
SF Futbol Team
