My
name is Azucena Lopez, I’m 19 years old and I could be the girl that comes from an SOS Village and goes to
England.
When I was a little girl I used to go out on the streets and ask for
money with my mother. This was because we had no food to eat. My parents
suffered from drug addiction problems - they were very bad problems.
Those
were very harsh times.
When I was around 6 years old, my siblings and I were separated from our
parents because they were not able to be rehabilitated.
At
the beginning my siblings and I were in three different shelters and then we
were moved to the SOS Villages in 2002…. Then in 2012 my siblings were taken to
another village. All the basic needs were given to us at the SOS Villages such
as healthcare, food, and education. Although it was a safe place, family was
still a hard topic to talk about since there could be around 10 children in one
household plus the woman in charge.
I
remember when I was in third grade I was at a New Year’s Eve party and… the
table was full of food. I remember that I couldn’t eat because I was crying and
saying: How can I be eating if my parents don’t have anything to eat.
When
I was 8 years old, my father came to visit us and I didn’t let my younger
brother see him because I knew that it was going to be difficult for him. As
the older sister, I had to protect him.
Living
at the SOS Villages helped me get out of the shelters and streets. It also
helped me obtain a scholarship to study at UWC Costa Rica for two years. At
UWC, English was my major limitation. I remember when I first arrived, a girl
from Norway asked me: How are you? And my answer was: Yes.
During
these two years I have learnt to value who I am, to fight for my dreams and to
believe in myself. I received support when I was depressed and to better my self-esteem.
Still, my English didn’t improve. In
August, my co-years will go to universities in different countries around the
world. I wasn’t able to apply to them because
of my limitations with English. Now, with the help of Mariela, a woman with a
good heart, I will be able to study for six months in England as she is
sponsoring me.
She
is making a huge effort to help me follow my dreams and improve my English.
Because of this, I will be able to apply to universities next year in the
United States, thanks to the opportunity I had here at the United World
Colleges. Yet, for me to go to England, I have to pay for the plane tickets and
the living expenses there. This is why I’m starting this campaign. I need to
collect 6500 dollars to be able to accomplish this part of my dream. This dream of being a Costa Rican from an SOS
Village that receives the opportunity to go England.
Thanks María Denisse for the translation.