Student of the Month - Leonardo

NOVEMBER 2009 > Leonardo

Six-year-old Leonardo is a student at the Mano Amiga San Antonio School in El Salvador. As an energetic and bright student who has many friends, Leonardo loves to participate in class and is always willing to help others. Unfortunately, like many other children in El Salvador, Leonardo was born into extreme poverty.

On Sunday, November 8th, El Salvador was hit with severe rains that flooded large portions of the country. The impoverished neighborhood where Leonardo and his family live was one of the communities hit the hardest by this natural disaster. As his school set out to aid those they knew had been hit the hardest by the flooding, they struggled to find Leonardo’s home as it had been completely washed away. Leonardo and his family lost not only their home but the majority of their belongings. His family has set up a makeshift tent where they are currently sleeping as they work on recovering the humble home that they once had.

In his short life Leonardo has already encountered numerous difficulties and challenges but he remains upbeat and hopeful not only about his current circumstances, but about his future as well. In the last couple of days he has been incredibly helpful not only to his own family as they struggle to recover but also to his neighbors and friends. It is through the quality education that Leonardo is receiving at the Mano Amiga San Antonio School that he has the possibility of realizing his full potential and leaving the poverty that has marked his young life.

Leonardo is looking forward to the start of the coming school year as he will be starting the first grade and is excited about seeing his friends again. Leonardo dreams of becoming a firefighter so that he can help others.