Back to School: Jacque Barahona

You are never too old to go back to school. Just ask Jacque. For Jacque, education is opportunity. It is an opportunity to provide a better future for her young daughter Bianca. It is an opportunity to escape the grasps of poverty. It is an opportunity to thrive. It is empowerment. A few years ago, the dream of going back to school seemed a distant reality. When Jacque was 19 she gave birth to Bianca and was thrown into the realities of parenthood. Bianca’s father wanted Jacque to stay at home, but she found this difficult. “He wanted me to stay in the house and take care of our baby, but I was feeling emotionally and financially unstable. We were in need.” Jacque joined Krochet Kids Peru because she wanted a way out of her disempowering circumstances. From Day 1 she’s been hard at work changing those circumstances. Recently, she took a giant leap towards her dreams by enrolling in a local vocation school. “I enrolled in secretarial studies. Ever since I joined the program, I’ve heard that we have to follow our dreams and one of mine is to have my own business. This is why I have a plan and the first step is to study to be a secretary.” “It wasn’t easy to make that decision. I had to work extra hard to make more money and cover the tuition, but I’m committed. I feel really good knowing that I’m investing money in my education and therefore, the future of my family.” Jacque’s investment in education goes beyond herself. After realizing that the education Bianca was getting at the local public school was subpar, she decided to change that as well. “I made cuts to my family budget and worked extra hours. I was able to enroll her in a private school right next to KKP. It was a little hard for Bianca at the beginning because she was behind in comparison to the other kids in her classroom, but now she is on the same level as them.” We are inspired by Jacque. She’s one of those people that have the audacity to dream big and the drive to make them a reality. She said it best, “The best part of it all is that I’m setting life goals and I’m achieving them.”