Mary Nduta comes from Maai-Mahiu from a family of eight. She graduated from primary school in 2010 but she could not join high school due to the lack of school fees. Mary is being brought up by her single mother after being abandoned by her father when she was a small baby. She visited Comfort the Children International in July 2011 wanting a job so she could support her mother and siblings. Unfortunately, CTC was not recruiting at the moment and she was also under the legal working age. She is currently volunteering in the Malaika kids department (children with special needs) in the organization. CTC have elected to post Mary's bio to The School Fund site so that she may gain financial support for her secondary education fees for next year (2012). Her mother is unable to pay her school fees, even struggling to provide food for her children. Mary is polite, dedicated and determined to get an education to achieve her dream of becoming a Secretary. She prays that one day she may achieve her dream, becoming stable enough to support her family and change their way of living.

Kumari writes: "My name is Kumari Magar. I live in Bhaktapur, Nepal at the New Youth Children Development Society. I have lived here since I was 8 years old and I am now 18. I don't remember much before coming to NYCDS but I have two younger brothers who also live here. There are children at NYCDS and they have been my family for the past 10 years. "Most of the children are much younger than me and I have many jobs and help look after them when I am not studying. Experience helping to look after so many children means when I grow up I want to be a social worker and continue to help poor people in my whole life if I can. "I feel very lucky to have such a wonderful family here and would be extremely grateful for the opportunity that scholarship would give me in helping me to achieve my goals and to make a bright future of mind."

Despite this workload, Jimmy has also been working in his spare time as an unpaid volunteer with a European NGO which, in cooperation with UTE, is working to lessen the risks of natural disasters in Quito. This fits in very well with Jimmy's studies and he feels he has learnt a lot. Jimmy lives with his mother and is the second of three sons. His mother works as a cleaner; his father abandoned the family many years ago. Jimmy is very aware of and sensitive to the people and places around him, and is extremely grateful for all the help he has received from the Condor Trust and from Education Generation, which is helping him to attend a university with an excellent academic level and to travel ever closer to his goal of being a professional environmental manager. Jimmy has been part of the Condor Trust since 2005. With our support, he studied initially in a school run by the Lasallian Brothers. After he graduated from secondary school, he was chosen by the school to study and work for one year in other schools run by the Brothers. This was a very good experience for him, as it allowed him to learn and to work in remote parts of the country where whole communities suffer from severe economic problems. He is now in his third year at university, studying environmental and natural resources management. Jimmy is very aware of and sensitive to the people and places around him. He is a regular volunteer at our Trust, helping the younger children with their studies. He is also an invaluable support to his mother, his teachers and his fellow students. He has a pleasant character and a great sense of humour. Jimmy lives with his mother and is the second of three sons. His mother works as a cleaner; his father abandoned the family many years ago. It is a pleasure for the Trust to be able to help Jimmy, as he is a young man who likes to study, and who is responsible and committed. We are sure that in his future professional life he will make a great contribution to his country. This is a partial tuition scholarship for Jimmy, intended to cover his fees for the remainder of this school year. Condor Trust works to secure other sources of funding to cover the rest of his tuition and other educational costs.

Lisbeth has maintained very high grades throughout her studies in Accounting and is expecting to graduate this year. She is very personable and connects strongly with the volunteers who work with Mosqoy. She is very courteous and dedicated to learning English in her own time, as she spends time with volunteers in order to practice her languages and share her culture with them. This has also led her to become Mosqoy's official tour guide, leading tours in English of Casa Mosqoy, the house in which students of rural villages live during their time in Cusco, Peru. Lisbeth holds considerable potential to become a strong leader in her community. However, this year she faced medical problems for which Mosqoy was able to find her Medical Sponsors. She was diagnosed with cataracts at a young age, but has learned how to manage her condition and has followed her doctor's advice. During her school year, Lisbeth still managed to participate in Mosqoy's "Kallpa K'oj" program in which students are encouraged to give back to their communities through volunteer services. She decided to assist in the construction of the Bombon Weaving Center for this service and became a very valuable member of the building team.

Carmen is one of our most dedicated students. She attends all of our events and meetings, and is eager to begin her studies. After graduating high school, she worked as a waitress in Puka Rumi, one of the best restaurants in town. Here, under the mentorship of renowned chef Alejo, she fell in love with the art of cooking and hopes to someday open her own restaurant. In her spare time, she is an athlete. Her favourite sport is volleyball, and she was the only female to compete in last year's Ollantaytambo weightlifting competition! She comes from a humble campesino (rural indigenous) family. Since her father passed away 16 years ago, she and her nine siblings have since been raised by her single mother.