¡Hola y Bienvenidos!
As the impending spring reminds us that wonderful beginnings are everywhere – we hope you all have had a great start to the year. At BFB Foundation, we are celebrating our students, donors, and accomplishments.
Our board members convened for a meeting in early February and the theme was one of gratitude. Our indigenous Guatemalan girls are given an educational opportunity made possible by you, our donors. You continue to inspire our work for another great year in 2024. ¡Gracias! |
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Happy Spring!
Spring here in the US but for Guatemala the "La tierra de la eterna primavera" (The Land of the Eternal Spring) it is always spring! Guatemala has a climate that stays temperate all year long and flowers bloom all year round.
We try to visit every year but missed being there last year due to thousands of Guatemalans, primarily members of indigenous communities, striking to demand the resignation of the attorney general and head of the Public Ministry for attempts to intervene in this year’s election results. Starting in September major roads were blocked, and travel was difficult if not impossible. Many of our students had to take their courses online as they were not able to get to their University campuses. The unrest has quieted down with inauguration of Guatemala's new president, Bernardo Arévalo. He faces significant challenges in meeting promises to root out corruption.
The Scholarship girls and graduates will be holding a Networking Retreat in July in Antigua. They meet to support one another and to discuss job and career opportunities. Members of our BOD and donors have joined these retreats several times for an evening dinner of visiting and celebration. We are coordinating our annual trip visiting our high school partners and other groups to coincide with the Networking event. Our donors are always welcome to join us! It is a truly uplifting experience.
Many thanks to our supporters and donors, you cannot believe how much hope and opportunity you have given to so many girls and their families. You’ve truly made a difference! |
Christine Burns-Fazzi Founder |
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Here are how your donations and our work are impacting lifelong learning: |
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Our enduring program offers $600/year scholarships to indigenous Guatemalan girls from disadvantaged communities for their university education or vocational certificates. Through our All 4-1 campaign, our goal is to offer more educational scholarships each year. Every single dollar goes to a specific girl’s education and your donation is tax deductible. Here’s how you can change a girl’s life, that of her family, and her community: -
Recruit friends and family to create your All 4-1 group to fund one girl's scholarship (4 friends fund 1 girls education).
- Each person pledges $150 each for 5 years to help a young scholar earn her degree.
- Your All 4-1 group will be connected with a scholarship student, who will send you an update twice a year, sharing the impact of your support to her personally
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BFB Foundation Women’s Scholarships are currently funding 41 University scholarship students. The program started in 2015 with 8 students and has grown each year. Scholarship recipients may go to public university, professional skills training or certification classes, and funds may be used to cover tuition, university, school supplies, transportation and lodging.
Highlighting Ruth Ibate |
Ruth is one of our 2021 scholarship recipients who wants to go to school to be a doctor or a surgeon. She graduated from high school in 2018 with an average grade of 92/100. Since then, she has been working in a school supply store to earn money. She just completed her first year in University, we don't have her official grades yet but she mentioned this "The truth is that university has gone very well for me, it's been a beautiful and unique experience. I feel very happy because this year I was able to pass all my courses".
Ruth is one of 7 children, her siblings range from 13 to 35. Her mom stays at home with the children and her dad owns a small business. They live in Sololá which is a city on a mountainside overlooking Lake Atitlán. |
We want to take a moment to thank Heather Herrig for her service on the board of BFB Foundation. She was instrumental in developing fundraising, communications, and event planning. We are grateful for her contributions to the foundation. Thank you, Heather! |
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