MAY 2009 > GUSTAVO
Six-year-old Gustavo attends the first grade at the Mano Amiga School in Culiacán, Mexico. “Gustavito,” as he is known among his classmates and teachers, lives with his parents and one-year-old brother in a low-income neighborhood located in the outskirts of Culiacán, the capital of Sinaloa.
Like a great percentage of the population in Culiacán, Gustavito’s parents are from humble backgrounds and have little academic preparation. His father has worked as a security guard for a factory for several years now and his mother stays home but works on occasion cleaning houses. Sadly, little Gustavo was born with a harelip and has had to undergo several operations to correct this problem. Currently there are plans for a third operation as he still has difficulty speaking and being understood. Despite all of these challenges Gustavo is a dedicated student who participates in class, finishes his assignments and has many friends at school. While he still has some difficulties communicating, the staff at Mano Amiga Culiacán is happy to report that he is improving and doing well.
Overall Gustavito is a good student who has greatly improved his writing, reading and comprehension skills, excels in computer lab but struggles a little in English class. He loves to spend time at the park playing hide-and-seek with his parents and younger brother and dreams of becoming a firefighter or a pilot.
April 2010Tatiana
November 2009Leonardo
August 2009Yesica
June-July 2009Veronica
April 2009Alex
March 2009Juan
February 2009Camila
May 2009Gustavo
January 2009Ana
December 2008Estefany
November 2008Jefferson
October 2008Jose
