Tag Archives: jobs

She Just Scored Her First Real Job!

Claudia at work!

Claudia knows too well about the “double burden” that her schooling means to her family. Her mother never went to school, and Claudia helps support the family by selling beautiful weavings. She could spend several hours a day behind the loom or taking care of her younger siblings, but instead she is in the 11th grade. There is no high school in her village so she travels in the back of a pickup to a distant city everyday for school. The costs (her uniform, transport, books, photocopies, etc) only go up with every year of her schooling. The “double burden” is the time she is away at school instead of working along with the high costs of her schooling. This puts a ton of pressure on the whole family and makes the situation very difficult.

Claudia in front of her workplace!

Starfish provides a partial scholarship and the support of a mentor and peer group to help Claudia and her family stay motivated. And more recently, Starfish launched its “Foot in the Door” Program for girls who are nearing the completion of high school. As the daughters of parents who average less than 1.5 years of schooling, the Starfish girls will be the first in their family to seek formal employment. But how will they know what to do when they get there?  Through the BRIDGE Program, Starfish is helping girls like Claudia know what steps to take to ensure that her empowerment and education flourish when she graduates high school. The “Foot in the Door” Program is a part of this BRIDGE Program.

The “Foot in the Door” Program matches each young woman’s professional interests with her first real job. Claudia has always wanted to earn English so she can have the option of working in tourism. She was hired as a part-time assistant in February by the Cacique Inn hotel in a nearby city. In getting hired, Claudia had to do a formal job interview, present her resume, and go through all the standard formalities of applying for a job. She now works on her English with hotel employees and guests.

Today, Claudia is the first in her family to have a formal job. She also earns an important income that helps support her family and studies. Like most first jobs, she will certainly find parts she likes and dislikes. But most importantly, she now has firsthand experience and information that empowers her to become a professional in the future.

STF’s own Kate Lord will be producing a short video on the “Foot in the Door” Program soon!