Monthly Archives: December 2008

Magdalena

Meet Magdalena, a 21-year-old girl from downtown Santiago going into the 11th grade in the Starfish One by One program.

Magdalena’s mother never had a chance to attend school, and she has overcome difficult situations to keep herself of track towards high school graduation and becoming the first female in her family to graduate.

If you want to leave Magdalena a message, you can comment below. We’ll collect them and send them to her, and update here when she writes back! (Note: this can take up to six months due to infrastructure issues in Guatemala.)

Posted in Tie-Dye Cupcake Bake-Off | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Irma Ruth

Meet Irma Ruth, a member of the Rosas de Guadalupe mentoring group in the Starfish One by One program.

Irma Ruth lives in downtown Santiago with her mother and her two younger siblings. She is the only non-indigenous woman in her group and seh is learning Tzutujil (the Mayan dialect spoken in Santiago) in school.

Irma Ruth is always one of the top students in her school and a very consistent participant in her Starfish meetings. She has a maturity well beyond her years.

If you want to leave Irma Ruth a message, you can comment below. We’ll collect them and send them to her, and update here when she writes back! (Note: this can take up to six months due to infrastructure issues in Guatemala.)

Posted in Tie-Dye Cupcake Bake-Off | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Ingrid

Meet Ingrid, a member of the Rosas de Guadalupe mentoring group in the Starfish One by One program.

Ingrid comes from a very tight-knit family in the center of the city of Santiago. Her sister, Lidia, is also in the Starfish program. Both she and Lidia do beading to help support their family.

Ingrid has a quick and frequent smile, and loves to joke around.

If you want to leave Ingrid a message, you can comment below. We’ll collect them and send them to her, and update here when she writes back! (Note: this can take up to six months due to infrastructure issues in Guatemala.)

 

 

Posted in Tie-Dye Cupcake Bake-Off | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Dolores

Meet Dolores, a 20-year-old girl heading into her sophomore year in the Starfish One by One Program.

Dolores has 8 siblings and lives in downtown Santiago. Her family produces beading and weavings. One of the older students in the Rosas de Guadalupe mentoring group, Dolores is very gentle and outgoing.

If you want to leave Dolores a message, you can comment below. We’ll collect them and send them to her, and update here when she writes back! (Note: this can take up to six months due to infrastructure issues in Guatemala.)

Posted in Tie-Dye Cupcake Bake-Off | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Chonita

Meet Chonita, a 21-year-old from downtown Santiago who is heading into her senior year of high school. She is a member of the Rosas de Guadalupe mentoring group in the Starfish One by One Program.

Chonita, whose father passed away and whose mother never received any schooling, is the most academically advanced student in the Rosas group. In 2012, Chonita will start her training as a future Starfish One by One mentor!

If you want to leave Chonita a message, you can comment below. We’ll collect them and send them to her, and update here when she writes back! (Note: this can take up to six months due to infrastructure issues in Guatemala.)

 

Posted in Tie-Dye Cupcake Bake-Off | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Candelaria

Meet Candelaria, a 10th grader in the Starfish One by One program, with a fantastic sense of humor!

Candelaria is from a rural village outside of Santiago. She has six siblings and her mother did not have a chance to attend school. Candelaria uses her talent for embroidery work to help support her family.

If you want to leave Candelaria a message, you can comment below. We’ll collect them and send them to her, and update here when she writes back! (Note: This may take up to six months, due to infrastructure issues in Guatemala)

Posted in Tie-Dye Cupcake Bake-Off | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Prathibha Byanna

Meet Prathibha Byanna, a 16-year-old girl in 11th grade at Shanti Bhavan. She is learning to play the violin, dreams of traveling to Venice and is already thinking ahead to college! Read her interview below to learn about her family, her favorite things, and her plans for the future:

What is your name and age? My name is Prathibha Byanna and I am sixteen years old.

What are you studying? Which is your favorite subject? I study Physics, Chemistry and Math in the 11th Grade.

Do you have any brothers & sisters? If yes, what are they doing? I have one sister and she is two years younger than I. She studies in the 8th Grade.

What do your parents do for a living? Both my parents are farmers. My father wakes up at 5:00 AM. My mother later on goes to the field at 7:00 AM and they are back at 6:00 PM.

What do you want to do with your life? I want to score 90% on my Indian School Certificate Exam in the 12th Grade. I have not decided what I want to do after that. Maybe my Bachelor of Science and then change course to the business stream.

What is one place on earth you want to visit? I really want to visit Venice. Going about the city in gondolas excites me. One of the volunteers at Shanti Bhavan told me that Venice is sinking, which gives me another reason to visit.

What activities do you do other than studying in school? I am learning to play the violin, I dance and I sing in the choir. I play basketball in the evenings.

What is the most important thing Shanti Bhavan has taught you? The most important lesson Shanti Bhavan has taught me is to always stay united. Friends I have grown up with will never leave my life so I have learned to reach out and help them and always be together.

 

If you want to leave Prathibha a message, you can comment below. We’ll collect them and send them to her, and update here when she writes back!

Posted in Tie-Dye Cupcake Bake-Off | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Angelica Elizabeth Lacan Mendoza

Meet Angelica, a 17-year-old girl from Starfish One by One who is about to start 10th grade in Santiago. She is a very talented bead worker and is the first in her family to go to school!

Angelica, whose older brother passed away last year, is a more reserved but very consistent member of the Rosas mentoring group.

If you want to leave Angelica a message, you can comment below. We’ll collect them and send them to her, and update here when she writes back. (Note: This can take up to six months, due to infrastructure issues in Guatemala.)

Posted in Miscellaneous | Leave a comment

Yeshwini Selvaraj

Meet Yeshwini Selvaraj, a 12-year-old girl in 7th grade at Shanti Bhavan. She dreams of being a cardiologist and seeing the Eiffel Tower in Paris! Prathibha, another Shanti Bhavan student sponsored by the Tie-Dye Cupcake Bake-off, interviewed Yeshwini about her family, her favorite things, and her drive to succeed:

What is your name and age? My name is Yeshwini Selvaraj. I am twelve years old.

What are you studying? Which is your favorite subject? I study in the 7th Grade. My favorite subject is Biology.

Do you have any brothers & sisters? If yes, what are they doing? I have an older sister and a younger brother. My sister is studying in 12th Grade. She took Physics Chemisty Math and Biology. My brother is studying in 5th Grade.

What do your parents do for a living? My father died when I was two years old. My mother is a shopkeeper and she gets up at 5:00 AM and comes back at 10:00 PM to spend time with her children.

What do you want to do with your life? I want to become a cardiologist and treat poor people with heart diseases. I also want to build a school like Shanti Bhavan for the poor people of Africa.

What is one place on earth you want to visit? I want to visit many places. I mostly want to visit the Eiffel Tower in Paris and I want to settle in New York.

What activities do you do other than studying in school? I play the piano, I sing in the choir and go for dance classes during Physical Exercise (PT). I play basketball.

What is the most important thing Shanti Bhavan has taught you? Shanti Bhavan taught me to always believe in myself and never give up in whatever you attempt. ‘Try, try until you succeed.’

If you want to leave Yeshwini a message, you can comment below. We’ll collect them and send them to her, and update here when she writes back!


Posted in Miscellaneous, Tie-Dye Cupcake Bake-Off | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Shormila Mary

Meet Shormila Mary, a 7-year-old girl in 3rd grade at Shanti Bhavan. She loves Math, wants to travel to Germany, and hopes to be a teacher one day! Prathibha, another Shanti Bhavan student sponsored by the Tie-Dye Cupcake Bake-off, interviewed Shormila about her family, her favorite things, and her dreams for the future:

What is your name and age? My name is Shormila Mary. I am seven years old.

What are you studying? Which is your favorite subject? I am studying in 3rd grade. My favorite subject is Math.

Do you have any brothers & sisters? If yes, what are they doing? Yes, I have an older sister. She is in 4th Grade in a local school near my village.

What do your parents do for a living? My mother cuts wood in other houses and gets money for it. My father helps building houses (a construction worker).

What do you want to do with your life? I want to be a teacher so I can help other children learn.

What is one place on earth you want to visit? I am learning German language. I would like to visit Germany.

What activities do you do other than studying in school? I play soccer. I love to dance.

What is the most important thing Shanti Bhavan has taught you? More than anything I have learned to have good virtues – to behave, be polite and courteous; tell the truth, table manners and discipline.


If you want to leave Shormila a message, you can comment below. We’ll collect them and send them to her, and update here when she writes back!

Posted in Miscellaneous | Leave a comment

Nabulwala Hellen

Hellen is a 14 year old at Arlington Academy of Hope’s Nabumali High School. She loves English and is an excellent athlete. Click below to enlarge her profile and letter!

If you want to leave her a message, you can comment below. We’ll collect them and send them to her, and update here when she writes back. (Note: This can take up to six months, due to infrastructure issues in Uganda.)

Click to enlarge

Click to enlarge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Click here to return to the main page

Posted in Miscellaneous | Leave a comment