Send Georgina to Nursing school!

Dear Friends and Family,

As many of you know I have been trying to get a girl in my community a scholarship to study in the United States for two years.  A month ago we received the devastating news that she was rejected for that scholarship.   She says she is bored, needs a goal, a challenge, and that she wants to study to pursue these things. Unfortunately, this is the case for a majority of youth here; bored and without options.

Her parents are wonderful people, they have taught both their children everything they know, and have encouraged them to seek other means of income. To earn allowance as children they each were allowed to sell the eggs of the household and sell them at whatever price they thought fit (a great lesson in business and bargaining if you ask me). Georgina’s father earns an equivalent of $ 125.00 a month for their family of four and can not afford to send Georgina, nor her brother, Christian, to school. Christian has managed to attend school by taking weekend courses and working during the week. Georgina, unfortunately can not do this, because there are very few opportunities for women to earn income in the countryside. 

There are many young women in her position; who finished high school, but did not go further with their studies because there were no other opportunities. However, Georgina is unique in that she is still single and without children at the age of 23. This is an incredible achievement here, as the majority of women are pregnant in their teens, even those with financial means. Georgina is also very talented in the area of crafts and has started a small business, selling her crocheted items through her aunt’s home.

There are very few scholarship programs that apply to her, because she is 23 years old and has average grades.  The family's political views are opposite of the current government, and therefore any available financial aid is closed off to them.

So, why am I telling all of you this? I have been looking and looking for scholarship opportunities for her, and I have not been able to find one that suits her, so I have decided to create one! Georgina would like to study nursing, which has a very high post graduate employment rate and medicine is something she has grown up with as her grandmother is the community's wet nurse and prepares herbal remedies for sick children who can't afford medical care.

The study is 3 years, with class on the weekends. One month of studies here costs about $20.00 a month including. They pay every month for all 12 months of the year.

I am writing to see who would be willing to contribute to this scholarship fund? For example to cover one year, I would need 12 volunteers for the year to donate $20.00 one time! You do not have to sign up for repeated donations, it can just be a one time donation for one month (obviously if you feel like giving more, I have no problem with that!) For those of you sending me packages, you are probably spending this much on shipping, so I would ask you to do this instead, although I do love the packages, this is more meaningful to me.  Right now, this fund is solely focused on Georgina, but if it is successful, who knows what it could turn into!

Let me know what you think! This is my first time doing this and I would love any comments, tips, suggestions or advice. Also some donations would be very welcome!  I would also like to say NO PRESSURE I love you all regardless, and if you do not feel comfortable doing this I will understand.

I would appreciate you forwarding this email on to people you think may be able to contribute. Please don't blindly forward it to your whole contact list because it has my mom's address in it. If you yourself would like to contribute please send your donation in a cash or check format to 

Erika Harvey

11008 Dreamy Way dr. NW

Albuquerque, NM 87114

USA

I will then get a list of the contributors and keep you updated on her progress in school, her grades, and all of that good stuff!

Thank You! Much Love

 Georgina is on the right, her dad Jorge, her mom Candida and her brother Christian on the far right!

not a great picture of any of us, but you at least get the idea! Me on the left, then Christian her brother , and Georgina on the far right. We had just gotten out of the lake after swimming!