A Note To Readers This story is based in fact. Maria-‐Isabel Franco was a real person and her story is true. But the details of this story are not all factual. Who she was and what happened to her are true but some of the characters are not. This is due to some resources telling incomplete stories. I have gathered the information that I have to make a story that shows Maria-‐Isabel for who she was, a real person. If you would like to know more about Maria-‐Isabel and her life story please do because this is a real issue and it keeps continuing but please understand that this story that you are about to read may not be completely real. Thank you for caring about this topic and the stories inside of it.
Non Profit: Population Council. Abriendo Oportunidades (Opening Opportunities)
Population Council is a group that tries to help people all over the world. Abiriendo Opertunidades is the part of the council positioned in Guatemala. It aims to provide the most vulnerable Guatemalan girls with skills and support to improve their lives. The issue as the program states it is the vast majority of Mayans in Guatemala are poor. Most live in isolated rural areas with limited access to water, sanitation, passable roads, schooling, and health care. Mayan girls are particularly disadvantaged. They generally marry early and drop out of school. They are also more vulnerable to things like what Maria Isabel went through. The program mostly focuses on girls ages 8-‐18 and tries to help them get through their adolescent years. It teaches them leadership and skills that are helpful in their lives. The program has expanded to include tutoring and a weekly educational radio program in Mayan languages. Abiriendo Opertunidades has helped more than 6,000 girls since 2004 and has trained 100 youth leaders and 45 interns. In 2007 an
evaluation of the program showed that 100% of Abiriendo girls now graduate 6th grade. This is an amazing improvement compared to the national 82%. 94% of the girls felt more open with their feelings and 44% of the leaders got a paying job by the end of the program. Abiriendo Opertinidades is an amazing opportunity for the young girls of Guatemala. You can help this program and the girls who benefit from it by either donating or volunteering. To Learn more about this amazing program visit http://www.popcouncil.org/research/abriendo-‐oportunidades-‐ opening-‐opportunities Bibliography West, Caryn. "Guatemala-‐ Venerability and Violence." The Trouble with the Alphabet: Through the Eyes of Innocence. Colorado: Trouble with the Alphabet, 2008. N. pag. Print. Romo, Rafael. "Guatemalans Shocked by Girls' Violent Deaths." CNN. Cable News Network, 19 Jan. 2013. Web. 04 Apr. 2014 "Time to End the Inaction over Killings of Women in Guatemala." Amnesty International.
Amnesty International, 17 Jan. 2013. Web. 07 Apr. 2014.Villarreal, Ryan. "Half The Sky Is Falling: Systemic Violence Against Women In Guatemala Ripples From Brutal Civil War." International Business Times. International Business Times, 18 Jan. 2013. Web. 07 Apr. 2014. "United Nations Declaration of Human Rights." UN News Center. UN, n.d. Web. 7 Apr.2014.