Transformation Stories: Allison
One of the incredibly important activities, included in every Partnership Trip Spark facilitates, is what we call a “Transformation Story.” In Nicaragua, this is an opportunity to visit one of the beneficiaries of Las Tías in their home. Their generous families invite our travelers into their homes to share their background, and explain how valuable their child’s participation in Las Tías is. Her is the story of Allison…
Allison is 11 years old and in the 4th grade. She’s new at Las Tías – she was just recently enrolled by her mother. Her mother is illiterate and barely makes a living to support Allison and her other young child, who’s 3. She also has an 18 year old son, Gustavo, who went through the Las Tías programming and thanks to their support, was able to finish secondary school.
Allison struggles with learning and has nobody at home to help her academically, so Las Tías is playing a major role assisting her with homework and making sure she doesn’t fall behind. Despite finding school hard, she loves math and wants to be a teacher. She’s quiet and sweet, but opens up quickly.
Allison’s mother makes tortillas all day long and sells them for a living. She sells them for 2 cordobas, which is approximately 8 cents. If she makes tortillas all day long and manages to sell them all in town, she’s able to buy food for her family late afternoon. Las Tías shared with our group that Allison has frequently gone hungry so both the meal program and tutoring are critical for her.
Having no father, Allison lives with her mother, younger brother, and her mom’s boyfriend, who is unemployed, but sometimes helps with the tortilla making. Allison and her mother are very close, and her mother is very thankful for all Las Tías has been able to provide, including financing shoes and clothes for Allison, who otherwise would not have had anything new for this school year.