At 11 years old, Doris left home to continue her education.
In her community, that choice was not common. Her parents had only studied through primary school. Her siblings had not gone much further. For most families, continuing beyond sixth grade simply wasn’t possible.
But Doris wanted to keep learning.
“I saw that no one in my family had gone further,” she said. “And I wanted something different.”
So she left.
To attend school, Doris moved away from her community and into the home of another family.
It wasn’t simply a place to live—it was an exchange.
“I stayed there so I could study,” she explained. “But I had responsibilities.”
Each day began early. She helped care for animals. She prepared food. She cleaned. Before and after school, her time was filled with work that made it possible for her to remain there.
It was a heavy responsibility for a child—but it was also her pathway to education.
At night, time was limited.
“I only had about an hour to do my homework,” she said.
But even that wasn’t enough.
So she found another way.
“I would open the curtain and use the light from outside—the streetlight—so I could keep studying.”
In those quiet hours, long after the house had settled, Doris created time where there was none.
There were many parts of this experience she carried on her own.
“When I spoke to my mom, I would tell her I was okay,” she said. “I didn’t tell her everything.”
She didn’t talk about the exhaustion. Or the weight of being far from home at such a young age. Or the quiet moments of uncertainty.
Instead, she focused on continuing.
“I told myself that all the sacrifice I was making had to be worth it.”
As Doris advanced into secondary school and later university, the challenges shifted.
Food became uncertain.
“There were times when we didn’t have enough,” she recalled. “Sometimes we would gather what we could with classmates just to cook something.”
There were periods when one food became constant.
“I don’t like mangoes anymore,” she said. “Because there was a time when that’s what I ate, over and over.”
At university, the pressure intensified. Balancing work and studies was necessary just to stay enrolled.
She found work in a Chinese restaurant. She kept going to class. She did what she needed to do to move forward.
And along the way, there were people who helped make it possible.
She remembers a landlord who understood her situation and gave her flexibility when she needed it most—small acts of support that made a lasting difference.
“It was very difficult,” she said. “Everything was a struggle. But I kept going.”
From the beginning, Doris’s journey was shaped by people who believed in her.
“I had teachers who encouraged me to continue,” she said. “They saw that I could keep going.”
Her mother supported her from afar—sending what she could, even when resources were limited.
And her brother played a profound role in her life.
He had moved to Panama to work, with the hope of helping support Doris’s education. When he passed away at 26, the loss was devastating.
“It was very hard,” Doris said.
In the midst of that grief, she learned something unexpected: she and her mother were beneficiaries of his life insurance.
That support—born from a tragic loss—made it possible for her to finish university.
A journey that had taken years—nearly six—was finally within reach.
Step by step, Doris continued.
Through work. Through uncertainty. Through loss.
“I kept preparing myself,” she said. “Because I believed all the effort had to be for something.”
In time, she achieved something no one else in her family had: she completed her university education.
Today, Doris is a mother of five daughters.
Her own childhood—marked by distance and sacrifice—has shaped the way she shows up for them.
“I make sure we are always together,” she shared.
Every night, they are under the same roof. It’s a simple thing—but for Doris, it carries deep meaning.
It’s about closeness. Presence. Stability.
It’s about giving her daughters something she did not always have.
Her husband is her biggest supporter—encouraging her as she continues to grow, both personally and professionally.
“They are always cheering me on,” she said.
Today, Doris brings her experience to her work with School the World as a Change Agent in Panama.
She understands what it takes to continue an education when the path is not clear—when it requires sacrifice, persistence, and the support of others along the way.
At School the World, we partner with communities, parents, and educators to make that path more possible for children—ensuring they have the support systems they need to not only access school, but stay and succeed.
Doris is now part of that work.
Her story is not just one of perseverance. It is a story of what becomes possible when determination is met with encouragement, support, and opportunity.
Doris’s journey is still unfolding.
But today, it is rooted in something powerful: family, purpose, and the belief that education can create new possibilities—not just for one person, but for generations.
And now, she is helping build that possibility for others.
