Aurora

Home for 11-year-old Aurora is a notorious red zone of Guatemala City, where gang violence is common and it’s often unsafe for children to leave their homes. She lives with her mum, Marvella and her older brother, Gerardo, and the family just about manage to get by on the money Marvella makes as a walking salesperson.

Violence isn’t the only obstacle that children in Aurora’s community face; a lack of access to their basic rights is another and not being able to go to school is a significant one. Aurora was one of these children who couldn’t access her right to education because she wasn’t able to enrol in school. She’d spend her days alone at home, bored and tired of being stuck inside.

“When I didn’t go to school, I was bored and tired at home on my own. I knew that school was important because without it, I wouldn’t be able to find work in the future.” Aurora

Then one day, Toybox’s partner in Guatemala, CONACMI, met Aurora and started to help her in the inscription process for school so that she could access her education. “When I got accepted into school, I felt excited and a bit nervous about getting homework. My favourite class is maths because I like learning all the different operations and sums. I also love PE when we do exercise and get to play in class.”

At the same time, CONACMI invited Aurora to start attending sessions they were running in the community with other children, which give them a safe place to play, learned and receive support in different aspects of their lives. Aurora has recently become an Ambassador for her project and helps other children learn about their emotions, rights and responsibilities through craft activities. As well as supporting other children, she’s also developing her own leadership skills for the future.

“My dream is to be a police officer or a vet. I have four cats and a dog.” Aurora

“Now I go to school, I feel happy. In the future, I want to get married and have a family. And show lots of love to my mum and brother. My brother is my role model because he knows how to say no to bad things in life. Also, if I could have some influence in Guatemala, I’d ensure that more children have access to school in a safe environment.” Aurora

To see how you can help more children like Aurora in Guatemala City's dangerous red zones, visit www.toybox.org.uk/protect.