From rural Guatemala to meeting Mrs. Obama

17-year-old student María Florinda writes about fighting to continue her education and speaking in New York alongside Michelle Obama. (Courtesy of María Florinda)

17-year-old student María Florinda writes about fighting to continue her education and speaking in New York alongside Michelle Obama.

My name is María Florinda. I am a 17-year-old from a rural community in Guatemala. I live with my parents, sister and two brothers. Where I come from, a lot of people are farmers so you can see vegetables like potatoes, corn, onions and broccoli growing everywhere. There are not many houses, and there are more trees than people.

In my community, many girls have to drop out of school after sixth grade because their parents don’t have economic resources to keep them in the classroom. Parents think that girls must get married and become mothers. Girls don't have any other options than to stop studying and get married because that is the life they know.

This could have happened to me. The difference is that I found MAIA, an organization for Indigenous girls led by Indigenous women. Through my primary school I heard about the MAIA Impact School, which is designed to connect the talents of rural Indigenous young women with the opportunities of the 21st century. I didn’t want to get married. I wanted to continue learning to achieve my many goals. I want to go to university, travel to other countries and learn other languages like French. I knew I had to stay in school if I wanted these dreams to happen.

It was challenging to convince my parents to support me because of the ideas they had about girls' education. They thought that girls don't have to study because they just have to get married. Another challenge was that they didn't have enough to pay for my education. However, I talked to them about my goals and that one day I want to have a better life, not just for me, but for my siblings. That helped convince them. When I finished sixth grade, I started at MAIA. 

María Florinda speaking at a Girls Opportunity Alliance event in New York. (Courtesy of María Florinda)

MAIA allowed me to develop my skills, build my self-confidence, become a leader and overall receive the education I deserved. The best part of attending school was learning new knowledge, especially in English class. It was one of my favorite courses because I love learning languages. I also loved the network and partnership MAIA has, the opportunities they gave us and the opportunity to meet new people. 

When the pandemic hit, MAIA gave me a tablet and internet to keep learning. I can’t imagine how I could have faced studying during the pandemic without MAIA. Many girls and boys in my community dropped out of school during COVID-19 because they didn't have a tablet, a computer or internet like me. I wish they had the support I had because we all deserve and have the right to go to school.

Last year I graduated from the MAIA Impact School. My graduation showed me that I am capable of achieving my goals. In sixth grade I decided to continue my studies and I did it. I feel so proud of myself and also so thankful with my parents and MAIA because they believed in me. Right now I am following a one-year program called Lanzamiento, which helped me secure an internship at an organization called Friendship Bridge. The program also aids us in finding scholarships for university and gives us workshops about finance education and professional development. 

“It was a wonderful experience to travel abroad and I’m so grateful to MAIA and the Obama Foundation for the opportunity,” María Florinda shares. (Courtesy of María Florinda)

In October, I was selected by MAIA and the Obama Foundation to speak at a Girls Opportunity Alliance event in New York. The former First Lady Michelle Obama and other amazing women and girls also spoke at this event. It was a wonderful experience to travel abroad and I’m so grateful to MAIA and the Obama Foundation for the opportunity. When I found out I was going, I was so excited that I wanted to share the good news with everyone. I was so happy to represent MAIA and how it is supporting me. I wanted to demonstrate that education can empower girls, make changes in girls' lives and make changes in society.

I never thought about traveling abroad, so when I got to New York, it was hard for me to believe that I was really there. There I met many incredible people from different countries, people who inspire me to continue studying and achieve all my goals and dreams. I loved meeting people from other countries, like Vietnam, Cambodia, and Kenya. I hope to see them again someday in the future. Sometimes when we don't have the opportunity to look a little bit farther, we think that we are the only humans in the world. 

During the event, I had the chance to give a speech on stage. I talked about my life, the problems that girls face and I talked about how MAIA has supported me to continue studying and why girls' education is important. When I was on stage, I felt nervous because it was my first time in front of many people. But I stayed cheerful because I knew that it was a big opportunity to show that education is a transformation. 

Right now, my biggest goal is to pass the admission tests at the university and start studying to become a doctor. My dream is to help people in my community to take care of their health since they don’t have the resources to pay medical attention. I know that is not easy, but I hope to achieve it.