Juan José is five years-old and attends Mano Amiga Guatemala. He has attended the school since Pre-K. This year he entered Kindergarten.

To support the family, his father, Juan José, is an assistant construction worker, and his mother, Ana, is a clerk. Juan José has one sister, who is currently in the 6th grade—also at MA Guatemala.

Juan José wants to be just like his father when he grows up and work with buildings, but, because he likes to build and draw, he aspires to be an architect .

Mano Amiga Guatemala is providing opportunities for the future the children would not otherwise have. Education helps support the families and enables their children to break the cycle of poverty. Mano Amiga schools are typically in areas where there is a large impoverished and underprivileged population. These schools are turning these areas around and students come back to serve the community.

Not only does Mano Amiga Guatemala serve the students that attend school there, but also their families who now have the opportunity to receive healthcare, food support, counseling, and job opportunities.

Children leave Mano Amiga Guatemala prepared for upper schooling with the self-confidence they need to succeed