Senia!

Senia is a fourteen-year-old native of Plancitos. Over the years, we've watched her grow and her character form despite some of the most oppressive circumstances surrounding her. Her family was deeply affected when her father left, leaving her mom alone to support her and her siblings.

Plancitos is an impoverished area with very few opportunities for children. Despite everything going on with her family, Senia went against what commonly happens with girls in these areas (they often end up getting married at a very young age). Because Senia found the facilitators of Plancitos, she discovered a different path than the world around her.

Senia's educational path has been admirable as it has been different. Senia was in the third grade when her father left and the bottom fell out of family life. Finances went to zero, and the situation was desperate. Senia's mother allowed her to finish the year out, but after that she could not continue. So Senia took matters into her own hands and continued to read, write, and study independently. She felt that although she might not be able to attend school, it didn’t mean she couldn't learn.

The situation was so hopeless that Senia's brother and sister did not even get enrolled in school. Senia decided that if they couldn't get into the school, she would teach them at home, becoming Plancito's first self-taught homeschool teacher. Every morning she got her siblings up, washed and fed them, and then sat them down all morning to receive classes from the schoolbooks she could access.

Senia's mother is very proud of her daughter. She even helps cook at the CarePoint and accompanies her children who are thrilled and punctual despite the circumstances.🙏

We see God’s hand at work in Senia and her family and we can’t wait to see how His hope continues to transform them.