Mosqoy Youth Program 2020: Meet Our Students!

Meet Our Students!

We are incredibly excited to announce the 2020 cohort of our Mosqoy Youth Program!

We have just selected the next nine leaders of tomorrow, who will be moving into Casa Mosqoy next month! Here, we will support them to study post-secondary education, attend second-language classes, take part in a holistic complementary curriculum, and live communally in a trilingual cultural safehouse for the next four years of their lives, as they learn trades and careers that they can bring back to their communities.

These students have demonstrated outstanding ambition and hard work in the face of much adversity that has come their way, and upon graduation, will be able to act as leaders in their communities and for the next generation. We wanted to share a little bit of their unique stories with you, so you can get to know them as they embark on their educational journeys with us, as our 2020 Mosqoy students.

MEET FABIANA! Fabiana is from Patakancha, a rural community above Ollantaytambo, Peru, where she is currently a youth leader in her community church. Fabiana graduated high-school a couple of years ago and has been trying to save up to continue her studies, but until Mosqoy’s scholarship opportunity came along, she didn’t have the means to continue her education. Fabiana will be pursuing her dream of becoming a leader in her community - a new, grassroots community-based tourism hub in the Sacred Valley - by studying Hotel Administration at a post-secondary trade institute in Cusco. She will also study English as a second language, be part of a holistic community leadership curriculum at Casa Mosqoy, and will continue to learn about her beautiful Quechua textile tradition that is a mainstay of her hometown.

MEET AGUSTIN! Agustin is from Cancha Cancha, a rural community that is home to only about 25 families, sitting at 4000 metres above sea level. To complete high-school, Agustin would walk three hours one way from his community, every day, climbing up and down a mountain, completing his homework en route. He is one of eight siblings in a Quechua-speaking one-bedroom household. Agustin graduated high school due to his incredible work ethic and the amazing support of our partnering organization, the community centre of Casita Huaran. And now, because of Mosqoy’s scholarship program and Agustin’s top-of-class status, he will be studying Tourism at CENFOTUR in Cusco - the most prestigious tourism institute in Cusco, accredited across the nation! Agustin wishes to set an example for his siblings and the other youth in his community, and to prove to himself that - despite the adversity that comes your way, and the few back steps you may have to do, “Yes, you can.”

MEET ELIM! Elim is from the community of Llanchu, above Calca, in the Sacred Valley of Peru, and we connected to her through our wonderful partner organization, The Sacred Valley Project, who supported her to complete high-school. Elim hopes to study Hotel Administration at a post-secondary institute in Cusco, and to one day become a role-model in her community and employ graduates from the Mosqoy Youth Program. She also wishes to use the knowledge and tools she gains to support her mother, who makes beautiful textiles. Elim is currently working hard to pass the entrance exams, as she is facing a lot of competition from her fellow peers, as well as classmates who had better access to high-school education. We are supporting her at every step of the way and providing her with preparatory academies and tutors. 

MEET ANALI! Anali is from Parobamba, a remote community that sits on the edge of the Andean mountains and overlooks the Amazon jungle. Anali graduated high-school a couple of years ago where she was the mayor of her school, putting on several events to support her community’s medical center and other public institutions. Anali is the daughter of a master weaver and was working in Chinchero selling textiles for the past few years, hoping to save up the funds to study, but didn’t have the opportunity to continue her education without Mosqoy’s support. Anali wishes to become a leader in her community and help those who need her support after graduating, including helping market and sell her community’s traditional textiles; she has therefore decided to study Business Administration at a post-secondary trade institute in Cusco.

MEET SENOVIO! Senovio (also known as Fredy) has lived independently from a young age, and recently graduated high-school despite all odds because of the incredible support of community members who took him in as his guardians (the Herrera Delgado family and their community centre of Casita Huaran). His ambition shone, as he worked on their farm, translated into Quechua for community-based tourism groups, and completed a permaculture course - all before graduating high school! Now, we’re excited that Senovio will be able to continue his educational dreams through Mosqoy Youth Program, pursuing Culinary Arts at Blue Ribbon Institute - one of the best chef schools in Cusco. Senovio wishes to open up a local restaurant chain across the Sacred Valley upon graduation where he can one day employ more students from the Mosqoy Youth Program, and then eventually continue his studies further in International Business Administration. He is also learning English and German, and hopes to learn many more languages!

MEET NOHEMI! Nohemi is from Mendosayoc, an extremely remote community that is approximately a three-day trip from Cusco, on the border of the Andes and the Amazon. There is no high school in Mendosayoc, so Nohemi left her community at age 12 and moved to Calca, where The Sacred Valley Project provided her with the opportunity to complete her secondary education. Now, because of Mosqoy’s scholarship, she will be studying at a post-secondary institute in Cusco. Nohemi hopes to return to her hometown once she graduates and support her community and family. Nohemi is a strong advocate for gender equality and the empowerment of women in education. She feels lucky that her family supported her to pursue her studies, “even though she was a girl.”

MEET ALEJANDRO! Alejandro is from the annex of Acopata above the rural community of Cancha Cancha, which sits between two glaciers at 4600 metres above sea level. Alejandro has displayed incredible self-determination and hard work, living independently most of his life while working to support himself to complete his secondary education. Later in his studies, he received the guidance and support of our partnering organization, the community centre of Casita Huaran who mentored him to graduate high-school. Alejandro loves to work with his hands and help his community members by being there for them when they need it; he therefore has decided to become a mechanic, and will be enrolling in the Senati Technical Institute in Cusco, with Mosqoy’s support. He also loves languages, so will be learning English while studying with us in Cusco. He already speaks Quechua and Spanish, and hopes to learn many more!

MEET ANA LISBETH! Ana Lisbeth is from the community of Parcco near Calca, in the Sacred Valley of Peru. She recently graduated from high school, with the support of our partnering organization, The Sacred Valley Project, and will now be able to continue her studies to honour her late brother and fulfill her dreams, because of a Mosqoy scholarship. Ana Lisbeth will be studying Business Administration at a post-secondary trade institute in Cusco and hopes to one day open her own business, where she can support future Mosqoy students and youth in her community. Ana Lisbeth finds great strength in her brother’s words, who wanted more than anything for her to continue her studies and follow her dreams despite challenges that came her way.

MEET ALCIDES! Alcides is from the rural agricultural and weaving community of Amaru, Peru, which is 40 kilometres above the bustling market town of Pisac. Alcides was the mayor of his high school, and wishes to continue being a leader in his community. Without the Mosqoy scholarship program, Alcides would not have received the support he needs to continue his education. Alcides wants to fulfill his dream of helping others learn and understand their rights to prevent mistreatment, abuse, and corruption in his country. He therefore wants to study education or law at a university in Cusco, and become a teacher or a lawyer. He is currently working hard to pass the entrance exams, as he has chosen the hardest degrees to get into, especially when competing against fellow classmates who had better access to high-school education. We are supporting him with preparatory academies and tutors, and rooting him on every step of the way!

                                                                                                                                                                

If you would like to follow along on the educational progress of our students, follow #meetourstudents on our Facebook and Instagram, as we will keep posting more stories. We will also keep you updated through our blog and this mailing list, to make sure you are able to follow along on their progress from afar. Thank you so much for your contributions and support! It is because of you that we were able to say YES to these students' scholarships and enroll them in school this year!

📷 Ashli Akins