Amada and Scholarships

The government school in the community is a Proheco school, which are rural Honduran schools with local community autonomy. The teachers in these schools earn about ½ of the salary of the teachers in the typical Honduran public schools. The school in the community opened in 2004 and consists of kindergarten through 6^th grade. There is one teacher for kindergarten, and three teachers for 1^st-6^th grade. School itself is free through 6^th grade with parents providing all required school supplies, however secondary education is not free. We want to start a scholarship program for students who wish to pursue an education beyond the 6^th grade. More information about these scholarships is provided below. Here is the story of one of the teachers, Amada.

Hello, I am AMADA ESMELIA MARADIAGA CHÁVEZ. I was born on August 23, 1987 in the Municipality of Oropoli Department of El Paraíso, where my parents Dora Esmelia Chávez and my father Pedro Antonio Maradiaga Valle are from. I am the third of my siblings with whom I have shared beautiful and sad moments with my family and it is the most sacred thing I have in my life.
At the age of 5 I entered the Marcelino Castellanos KINDERGARTEN, my first step as a proud student, after completing my initial studies I went to the primary level at the Francisco Morazán Urban SCHOOL where we had unforgettable moments where my mother also taught me to work hard baking bread. I had to study and work at the same time since I was seven years old. They put a cement block on the floor so I could reach the counter where I kneaded bread. After learning how to make bread, my mom sent me to sell large pans to the grocery stores and after I got back from selling it was my turn to clean and wash utensils to continue baking. I would get up at 3:00 in the morning to knead bread so that my mom baked it at 6:00 a.m. I had to get ready and go to school when I returned from school I’d wash my uniform, eat lunch, and I went back to the town’s grocery stores to sell bread. That was my daily routine, for years I didn’t have a childhood where I could enjoy a game with my friends, neighbors or classmates and enjoy some free time because I felt tired and I had to do my homework. Years passed then I went to the secondary level where I attended the OROPOLÍ POLYVALENT INSTITUTE, in which I spent beautiful moments. I was recognized with my grades and hard work I did at home and I was awarded a scholarship for my good grades. My parents and siblings were proud of my perseverance.
After finishing high school my dream was to be a Teacher I thought I would never achieve it since my parents were of limited resources. However they encouraged me to continue studying, my father promised to support me, he sold construction material in a cart, sand, stones, etc., and my mom also was a total support. I finished my secondary school and I came to study here in Danlí. I continued after my dream, my parents interned me in the best and most prestigious Institution of Honduras, the Escuela Normal España, Villa Ahumada, Danlí, where there were students from all over Honduras, there I finished my Associates Degree in Education. Then my parents could no longer afford to continue paying for me to go to boarding school and I wanted to continue studying because the associates was not enough to get a job, I had to continue studying. I lost a year of study since my parents did not have economic resources, that year we started to make a lot of bread to save and be able to continue with my studies the following year, thanks to my GOD, my parents opted for my studies. Thanks to my parents I started in that same institution the Bachelor’s Degree in Basic Education and thanks to my older sister she had already completed her studies with the same support that my parents gave me. She was already a teacher of Primary Education, she started to teach the same year I began my degree and I finished in 2009, The happiest year of my life since I fulfilled my dream and honored my parents and other family in 2010
After my first teaching job I asked for a transfer to the PROHECO DANLI School, La Carbonera (the school here in the community) and I was granted the transfer and I was happy as it was closer to my house. I have grown professionally, this is where I have spent the most unforgettable experiences of my professional career with my children and where I would like to finish my teaching profession. I have learned a lot from my School, from my esteemed students, dear parents and from my family. Also at this stage of my life I formed a home and we had two beautiful children, my daughter SASKIA MARIELLY AMAYA MARADIAGA in her fourth grade and my son MARVIN ANTONIO AMAYA MARADIAGA in her first grade, with whom I am very happy. I hope and trust in GOD one day for the government of Honduras to reward our great work, since we are low-paid teachers, the pay to us teachers of this program is super low, lower than the minimum wage. Well this is my life story for those who have the opportunity to read it, dreams if they come true when we persevere and trust in our beloved GOD ALL YOUR DREAMS CAN COME TRUE IF YOU HAVE THE COURAGE TO PURSUE THEM. GOD BLESS YOU

More information about scholarships:
Our philosophy is we are partners with the parents and teachers of the children in the community. We will work with parents and the teachers to ensure students selected for a scholarship will have a reasonably good chance of success in secondary education. This includes making sure there is some type of support structure for all students we award scholarships.
For grades 7-9 the cost for a year of school is $150 for the year, and the cost of grades 10-12 is $190 for the year. If you would like to support these children with a scholarship(s), please donate at Donate – Mission Driven Ministries, select Danli, Honduras and add in the memo line this is for scholarships. 100% of what you donate will be utilized for these scholarships. If you have any questions please contact me via email or (256) 714-6964.
Thank you,
Ron Olkiewicz

Education facts for Honduras:
60% literacy rate
43% of children enrolled in public schools complete 6th grade
30% of all children entering the first grade go on to secondary school
8% of children continue to a university
Honduran law provides for free education K-5 thru 6th grade
Significantly more females than males attend secondary school
Many young men work to support their families, are recruited into gangs, or chose to migrate to get away from the gangs
Of those of secondary education age, 41% of males work compared to 9% of females