Article by Deron Denton.
Her father disappeared years ago, leaving her mother to care for four children. As the eldest, it fell to Andrea to find a way to support the family. Forced to drop out of school at 15 for survival, she initially had no decent job prospects. But, tenacious and determined, she convinced a small construction company to give her a chance at a job.
Although she often gets paid less than her male coworkers for doing the exact same heavy labor, she does have a steady income. Andrea's wages are the sole income for the entire family.
Now 17, the blisters that once covered her hands have mostly turned to callouses. "People, especially men, don't think of me as a woman," she says. "The dirt never completely comes off when I take a shower. I like pretty clothes, though. For once, I would like to look feminine."
Andrea told us she'd like to do something else with her life. Her long-term ambition is to finish school and then receive training or an apprenticeship to become a tailor. Although our staff in Quito, Ecuador, is trying to find a way to make this humble dream a reality, it involves a catch-22: returning to school or entering training would mean a loss of income that her family simply can't afford.
Andrea is a great example of the importance of our career readiness programs like Into Employment and HOPE (Helping Overcome Poverty through Education) scholarships.
"What I am used to is hard work," says Andrea, "not acting like a woman."
Cristian volunteers as the co-facilitator of his agency's Youth Health Corps, where he helps young people overcome gender bias.
Cristian, 18, comes from a very poor, traditional family in rural Guatemala. Neither of his parents continued their educations beyond grade school. Cristian's mother was forced to leave after second grade to help her own mother around the house; his father didn't make it past the sixth grade. He was needed to help his family survive by working the coffee fields.
A bright student, Cristian faced many pressures to follow in his ancestors' footsteps. Beginning in the seventh grade, when compulsory education ends, many of his uncles, friends and neighbors criticized his decision to continue studying. They thought he was being lazy and selfish. The cultural expectation was for him to help ease his parents' burdens by working the fields.
Fortunately, Cristian's parents supported his nontraditional vision for a brighter future. It's paying off, too: Cristian's exceptional grades helped him earn a HOPE scholarship. Approaching his final year in college, he is close to earning a degree in accounting. "I want to be a professional," says Cristian, "able to earn in a month what my dad earns through great effort in several months. I want to help the whole family, even those who criticized me."
Managing a vegetable cart on the bustling streets of Kolkata, India, 18-year-old Susmita sustains a quiet, if fierce, dignity. It's a dignity born of opportunity, as well as rugged determination.
Unlike her two older sisters – and nearly half of all young women in India – Susmita didn't marry before her 18th birthday. "After completing public school," she recalls, "my family was adamant that I should get married. I was equally adamant that I wanted to study."
Susmita credits her involvement with our youth programs for helping her foster the inner strength to persevere against traditional gender type. "The Youth Program," she says, "raised my level of confidence ... and also has enhanced my negotiation skills. And these have helped me overcome challenges that I face every day in the family."
Now, thanks to her hard work and a HOPE scholarship, Susmita tends the vegetable cart in the morning and attends college courses in the afternoon, where she is studying to become a teacher.
"The aim of my life is to be self-sufficient," she says with pride. Adding, "... the HOPE scholarship is like a boon that has changed the course of my life."
Photos and reporting assistance by Andrés Rosero, Javier Cárcamo and Nivedita Moitra.
"My family was adamant that I should get married. I was equally adamant that I wanted to study," says Susmita.
