José lives with his family on a small subsistence farm near Better in Belize. He is twenty-one, and wants to get training to allow him to have a good-paying job so he can help his family and realize his and their dreams. He hopes you can help him do this by donating to our educational fund, to support him as he learns a technical vocation.
José’s education began in small country school at BIB, but when he was in the third grade it was discovered that because the teacher was uncertified, he would have to start all over again at the kindergarten level in Benque Viejo. Because of this, he was always three years older than his classmates. It required a lot of perseverance to continue high school when everyone else his age was out of school. But he was determined to get his diploma, and graduated at the age of twenty-one in June of 2020.
The Covid-19 pandemic has seriously impacted all of the farm families in our area. With the helping hands of the children to harvest garden produce from a distant piece of property in the foothills (about six miles from their home) and get it to market, José’s family can make enough to feed and clothe themselves, but not much more.
José’s grades have remained high throughout school. He is an excellent student, with fine character, a great sense of humor, and a strong drive to help others, often tutoring the younger school children at our Mano Amiga Student Center for two years while doing his own homework
Because of his excellent grades, attitude, and a recommendation from his high school vice principal, José has been accepted for training at Cayo Centre for Employment Training (CET), an accredited, technical-vocational training institution in San Ignacio, 17 miles from his home near Better in Belize.
With a $250usd scholarship he received from residents at BIB, José has enrolled in a certified course in Air Conditioning and Refrigeration. http://cayocet.bz/programmes/air-conditioning-and-refrigeration-level-1/
However, the $250usd is only enough to start the course, and a further $1000usd will be required for the rest of the tuition. He has received permission from the school to pay it quarterly, but at the moment there are no further funds to help him.
Additionally, the school is 17 miles from his home, ten of those miles on a very rough and slow road. José’s only transportation is the family motorcycle, and the rainy season will make the daily trip miserable if he lives at home. Ideally he would rent a small room near the institute, but there are no funds for this, either.
José needs a sponsor, maybe two or three, and your sponsorship would be a godsend to this exceptional young man.
José has this to say about his hopes and dreams:
“I have never dreamed about becoming a rich person someday, however I do dream about becoming someone who can be a good leader in the future. Things are not easy, eventually we have to take chances and make the best about it. My dream is to get educated and by having that opportunity I can help my siblings follow my path.
That’s not all. I also want to assist my father as a farmer by implementing my skills with mechanization to make his work easier in the field.
In order for me to accomplish this mission, I plan to take a course at CET to become an AC and Refrigeration Technician. This is just one of my many goals in life; by accomplishing this one I can also help myself earn some money and continue university and study. My dream career wish is to be a civil engineer. I have learned that it’s never too late to make a difference.”
Can you contribute toward his educational expenses to help José realize his dreams? With enough help, he can complete both Level 1 and Level 2 of the course to gain electrical installation qualifications and begin earning an income to help support his family and continue his education.