Equity in Educational Opportunity Matters

Faryal

• 
• Afghanistan

Faryal’s journey from Herat, Afghanistan, to becoming a beacon of inspiration embodies resilience and determination against all odds. Her academic prowess was evident from the start, setting a high standard for her younger brothers. However, when financial constraints threatened her education, her brother Hasib selflessly deferred his own ambitions to ensure Faryal’s path remained illuminated. […]

Asha

• 
• India

From the marginalized Siddi community (people of African descent) in India and first in her family to attend college, Asha was recommended to ‘A More Balanced World’ as a “competent young woman, dedicated to achieving her dream of becoming a nurse.  She was a wife and a mother who wanted to be a role model […]

Siavosh

• 
• Hamadan, Iran

Ahmad- The youngest strong man in Hamedan Province, Iran  Ahmad has had a passion for weightlifting since he was a child. At 14, he not only was an accomplished weightlifter with multiple titles in provincial competitions, but also an A student, academically. In a recent competition for “The Strongest Man in Hamedan Province”, Siavosh, who […]

Joseph

• 
• Tororo, Uganda

“my son, wants to study but has no one to support him. He moves from house to house looking for gardening work so he could raise money for school. Of late there’s no one giving him work.” – Said Joseph’s mother to Beatrice Achieng Nas founder & director of “Pearl Community Empowerment Foundation in Uganda […]

Danilo

• 
• Quiche, Guatemala

Born into a low income family in a rural farming community, where most kids don’t continue their education past 6th grade, Danilo however wanted more than a life of destitute. Recognizing Danilo’s potential and determination, Pura Vida, our partner organization in Guatemala provided assistance for him to complete high school in 2013 with stellar grades […]

Ezzat

• 
• KABUL, Afghanistan

As the eldest of 5 siblings and at the age of 10, Ezzat worked with his mother weaving carpets. At 12 his days began at 4:30 a.m. when he went to work on the streets of Kabul selling herbs, yet he kept dreaming of becoming an educated professional. At 15 Ezzat took his first step […]

Freshta

• 
• Afghanistan

Freshta was 28 and married with two children when she was recommended for a scholarship by A More Balanced World.  She had been a top performing student all the way through primary and secondary schools, but was never able to pursue further studies due to lack of required funds and constraints from her husband’s family.  Freshta’s […]

Andualem

• 
• Jimma, Ethiopia

Upon graduation from high school, Andu was faced with the seemingly inevitable fortune of many of his peers: most likely, a long and dangerous journey crossing borders or seas to find work in the neighboring countries. But for Andu, his plan to enter the workforce after high school graduation was not voluntary: he had always dreamed of pursuing higher education to change his life and those of his two younger brothers.

Divya

• 
• Ganga, India

As the daughter of a daily wage laborer and a part-time maid, both without education, Divya understood the value of hard work in the face of adversity from a young age.

While her parents struggles to make ends meet lead her elder siblings to leave school at the end of the 10th grade, Dyvia’s determination and aptitude kept her in school, as others within the community helped pay for her school fees and related expenses.