Linda

Linda (pictured above) was just 11 years old when her life changed dramatically. Originally from a village outside Guatemala City, she and her family moved to the capital in search of work and opportunity. She shares,

"We came here because me and my family needed work and we lived far away and sometimes we didn't have money to pay for the bus. At first, we rented a room here in La Terminal for about three years. Then we rented a different room closer to the landfill area. Later, I moved nearby, with a family friend, because my mother had been sent to prison.

We lived there for 4 years. The older family friend, me and my 6-year-old sister and 2-month-old baby brother."

Becoming a caregiver

Linda became the primary caregiver to her younger siblings. While her peers went to school or played, Linda was cooking, cleaning, and looking after her siblings.

Reflecting on first meeting the Puerta de Esperanza team, Linda shares, "I don't remember exactly, only that they started coming to visit me here, at the dump, when I was about 11 years old. I went to tutoring classes, mostly we had lunch, talked, played games and studied."

A team member from Puerta de Esperanza reflects:

"It was around 2015 when Puerta de Esperanza first began to have contact with Linda and her family. When we began working with her, she received educational reinforcement support from the organisation during her first four years of primary school. However, upon completing 4th grade, Linda had to abandon her formal education to care for her siblings, as her primary caregiver, her mother, was taken into custody. Despite the challenges, Linda has managed to provide the safest and most resourceful care for her siblings. It has been remarkable to see Linda take care of herself and her siblings in a healthier and safer manner compared to her family's past."

A mother and role model

Now 18, Linda is a young mother, raising her nearly two-year-old daughter while continuing to support her siblings — ages 6, 12, and 14. She shares,

"Right now I’m spending time with my daughter and my siblings. Above all I am a stay-at-home mum. I cook, wash clothes and advise my siblings. I also take classes with Puerta de Esperanza and every Wednesday we go with them to do art, cooking and games activities."

When asked what she means by “stay-at-home mum,” Linda answers simply:

"God wanted it and I want to take care of my siblings and my daughter."

Even when spending time at the edge of the market — known as the dump area — Linda makes it clear that being near her family is what matters most. She shares,

"I don't like being cooped up in the room we rented and I want to accompany my working husband and my siblings."

Pictured below: Linda with her siblings and daughter.

resuming education and future dreams

Linda’s education journey has resumed thanks to the Toybox supported project. Through Guatemala’s PRONEA programme — a formal alternative education system — Linda can study from home, or wherever she’s needed, making it possible to continue learning while caring for her family. Reflecting on what she enjoys most about participating in the project, she shares,

"I like the activities and I like to study with them. When we go out it's very fun."

Linda dreams of a better life - not just for herself, but for her siblings and daughter too. She concludes,

"I want to work and give my daughter an education. I want to help my siblings have a better future and improve my own future as well. I’d like to work, maybe at a place like Pollo Campero or a burger restaurant. I'm grateful to Puerta de Esperanza because they helped me a lot, they help me learn so much, along with my siblings and my family. I am thankful for the support and education they provide. It's thanks to them, we know everything we know and I am very grateful."

Pictured below: Linda and her brother working on their studies in the alternative education programme, PRONEA.