Meet Julio*
“I love sports and would love to be a coach or gym teacher one day.”
Program: Health – Healthy lunches Program
Teacher: Clarissa García
Age upon entering NDL program: 10 years old.
School grade: Fourth grade.
Family: Julio lives with his mother and 3 siblings (ages 8, 7 and 3). His father passed away.
Parent´s Education: His mother studied up to the third year of elementary school.
Housing: They own a brick house in basic condition.
Utilities at home: Water, drainage, electricity and propane.
Initial educational situation:
Reading: Recognized vowels and a good number of consonants.
Writing: He had basic writing skills; however, he omitted letters in words and spaces between them, which resulted in having difficulties in understanding what he had written. He also mixed upper and lower letters in his writing.
Mathematics: Recognized, counted, and wrote from 0 to 100.
Oral expression: Difficulty pronouncing several phonemes such as "r, s, p, j".
Reasons for his delay: His learning style is somewhat slow, so he often falls behind when it comes to writing and reading.
The story of Julio*
The situation: In Julio’s house, food is scarce, and they usually consume beans, rice, and some local herbs. They rarely eat meat, eggs or dairy. Julio’s father passed away, so he only has his mother as an adult figure. She is the primary breadwinner and works hard to feed, educate, and support her four children. Julio helps his mother by earning extra income making frozen fruit shakes in plastic bags and selling fruit on the streets.
The challenge: The lack of stability, food and challenges of poverty have been very stressful for Julio. He has become a very sensitive child and sometimes shows a lot of frustration in managing difficult situations. However, he is a child with a lot of drive and potential.
The progress: The tutoring and mentoring Julio receives through NdL has helped him improve his study skills and habits and build his emotional resilience and growth.
*Not their real names. Names changed for privacy.
