This Mother’s Day, we’re honoring the many ways mothers champion education—not just in classrooms, but in the everyday decisions and actions that shape their children’s futures.
For some, that means returning to school themselves. For others, it means opening their children’s eyes to the world.
And for Eufemenia, it meant picking up tools and helping build a school.
Eufemenia is a mother of five in the community of Odobate, Panama. At 35 years old, she balances raising her daughters on her own while working wherever she can—cleaning houses, washing clothes, and harvesting bananas.
“I do my best to raise my children alone,” she shares. “I did not have the opportunity for an education, but I always tell my daughters: you have that opportunity, and I will support you.”
Her days begin early, ensuring her daughters can get to school, even when it means long walks and long hours of work.
Education, for Eufemenia, isn’t abstract. It’s deeply personal—and something she is determined to make possible for her children.
When the opportunity arose to partner with School the World to build classrooms in her community, Eufemenia didn’t hesitate.
“When the project arrived, I did not think about my own benefit, but about the entire community.”
That mindset didn’t go unnoticed.
Aaron, a project engineer in Honduras who works alongside communities to guide school construction, remembers meeting her early in the process:
“From the very first meeting, Eufemenia stood out. She was always positive and encouraging others to participate.”
At the time, not everyone was convinced the project would succeed. Like many new initiatives, it was met with uncertainty.
But Eufemenia helped shift that.
“At the beginning, many people doubted the project,” Aaron recalls. “But she kept encouraging everyone, reminding them that together we could finish it.”
In Odobate, construction work is not typically done by women. But that didn’t stop Eufemenia—or the other mothers who joined her.
Instead, they learned.
“I learned to glue the blocks, to tie the rods, to cut wood with machines, and to weld,” she says.
What started as an opportunity became a source of pride—and a powerful example for her daughters and her community.
“In the community, women do not usually work in construction. But we did excellent work, and we worked very hard. Women worked harder than the men.”
She says it with a smile—but behind it is something deeper: a shift in what’s possible.
Through months of early mornings and long days, Eufemenia balanced caring for her children with contributing to the construction effort.
“I would wake up very early, leave food ready for my children, and then go to work on the project,” she recalls.
And slowly, something began to take shape.
Not just classrooms—but a shared sense of purpose.
“Yes, there were people who did not believe in the project, but we encouraged each other to work together,” she says.
Today, the result stands in the center of the community: two new classrooms, built through the collective effort of parents, leaders, and neighbors.
“The school brought improvement to the community. Now we have two classrooms and a good school,” Eufemenia says.
For her, the impact is clear—not just in the building, but in what it represents.
“I want my daughters to have the opportunity that I did not have. I will support them so they can move forward.”
This Mother’s Day, Eufemenia’s story reminds us that supporting a child’s education can take many forms.
Sometimes it looks like going back to school.
Sometimes it looks like opening your children’s eyes to the world.
And sometimes, it looks like building something with your own hands—so your children can learn, grow, and choose a different path.
What her story here.
Support mother’s like Eufemenia with a donation to School the World.