For most of her life, Marta Isabel never imagined she would become a teacher.

Born into a large family in rural Guatemala, Marta’s childhood was shaped by hardship. “We are ten siblings, and I’m one of the oldest,” she says. “Since I was five, I had to cut and sell firewood just so we could eat. I wanted to go to school. I dreamed of being a teacher. But my parents pulled me out after third grade. There was no money for school, and I never went back.”

Instead, Marta helped raise her siblings, while watching other children walk to class. The years passed. She married, had three children of her own—Bernardo, María, and Víctor—and worked as a seamstress to help support her family, earning just $7 per blouse.

Still, her dreams didn’t disappear. “I never stopped hoping,” she says. “I didn’t want my children to repeat my childhood. I wanted something more for them.”

That “something more” arrived when School the World’s Early Childhood Development (ECD) Program came to her community of Paichal, San Pedro Jocopilas. When a Change Agent invited her to train as a Tijonel—a community-based early childhood volunteer—Marta’s heart leapt. “I thought, this is it. This is my chance to teach. My dream has found me.”

And so it had. Every Wednesday afternoon, Marta leads joyful, energetic sessions for dozens of young children and their mothers. “Sometimes we have 75 kids,” she says. “I teach them to play, to think, to be curious. I don’t want them to be afraid when they go to school, like I was.”

As a Tijonel, Marta is part of a powerful, grassroots movement of women who are transforming early childhood education in Central America. School the World’s ECD Program trains local mothers to teach their peers about child development—from motor skills to early literacy—through play-based learning. Parents are empowered as first educators, and children arrive at school with the skills they need to thrive.

Since the program began in 2020, it has served more than 6,700 children—including 2,298 in 2024 alone. But the need is great, and the program currently operates in only a selection of School the World partner communities. The goal for 2025 is to serve over 2,000 children—but that will only be possible with expanded donor support.

“Thanks to School the World, I am not just a housewife—I am a teacher,” Marta says with pride. “I feel important in my community. I help other mothers. I bring joy. I show them what’s possible.”

She believes deeply in the power of education to change lives. “I couldn’t finish school, but I want every girl in my community to have that chance. I believe in our children. I believe in their future.”

You can help us reach more families like Marta’s. Your support trains local women to lead, equips parents to educate, and gives young children the start they deserve. Make a gift today—and help us grow futures from the very beginning.