A few months ago we had a dream of seeing every single child in our village communities enrolled in school. We were starting to see family after family come to us and explain why their children weren’t able to go to public school. The needs were as simple as a uniform or backpack. Something as cheap as $4 dollars was preventing the kids from an education. It absolutely broke our hearts, and we decided that we could be a part of the solution.
Instead of just creating a fundraising campaign and funding the project entirely, we wanted to create bridges between the villages, the private schools in the Guadalajara area, and our partners and supporters in America. We decided that everyone had a role that they could play.
So we got everyone involved. Our stateside team went to work getting the word out and started fundraising for backpacks. They cost $4 each, and we brought in thousands of dollars in just a few days. People were so excited to get involved!
Then we got the word out in Mexico. We put flyers up all over, and made announcements to the kids in our partner schools all over the city. We asked them to bring in all kinds of school supplies and donations for the kids just outside their home town. The response was overwhelming. Our base could hardly contain the amount of donations that started flooding in from our local community. They were so eager to lend a hand and support these kids.
We put in an order for over 400 backpacks with a local business that makes custom backpacks. And just a few weeks ago, they came in and we went to work, filling every single backpack to the brim with school supplies. Then we loaded up the van and headed to the village. Every single family showed up on that incredible day. We announced the name of each child one by one, and everyone clapped as they walked up to receive their very own backpack. The smiles in that room were absolutely contagious.
After the event was over, we had a few kids come up to us, holding their grandma’s hand. They asked us if we could help. They said things like, “I want to come to school, but I can’t afford the entry cost”, or “I can’t go to school because I can’t afford a uniform.” Our team then walked them immediately up to the principal, and asked them if they could enroll in school if we helped them get these small details taken care of. “Absolutely”, they said, “We’ll see you on Monday.”
These kids weren’t going to enroll in school, because they, like many others never had anyone to advocate for them prior to this day. At Marked, we love to play that role. Now we’re seeing story after story come in, of children that thought their school days were over, or some never beginning in the first place, but now they’re enrolling in school, and their story is about to change. Families that thought they would never be able to get educated, now are seeing that it’s possible.
This year, we have 413 children enrolled in our village school. 413! The highest enrollment the schools have ever seen. The local government is taking notice, and now they are requesting Marked’s input for the next school year, on how to get the neighboring villages’’ children to attend as well.
This is just one example of our model of empowerment. This is why we focus on the fundamental needs of families. Because these stories are the ones that break cycles of hopelessness and desperation. These are the stories of kids that will change the game for their villages and communities. We’re so excited to watch them walk it out.
