Buy a Van to Bring Paraguayan Students to School

Milagros has just begun secondary school as a 7th grader at the Macchi School in Tobatí, Paraguay. She’s lucky if her uncle’s shift at work allows him to drop her off at school for the 7 AM bell. Most days, though, she wakes up at 4 AM, long before the sun has begun to rise, and begins the 7 mile journey to school. Milagros pays the fare on the public bus at the main road, already a ways from her home, takes it to the center of Tobatí, then walks a mile to the outskirts of town to get to school. After the school day ends at 4:30 PM, she does it all over again, often reaching home well after dark. What’s more, rainy Paraguayan winter is now on the horizon, and Milagros’ daily journey will be all the more challenging.

She’s not the only one, either. There are ten other students at the Macchi School this year who live along the same road as Milagros, and a majority of the Macchi students come from rural areas or villages surrounding Tobatí. Having to journey so far each and every day for their education, it’s no wonder that some students simply get exhausted and consider dropping out. A school-funded bus to and from school would be life changing for these students, and that is where you can help.

Founded by the Garcia family and officially based in West Hartford, Connecticut, Team Tobatí, an all-volunteer non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of disadvantaged youth in Tobatí, Paraguay, has changed thousands of lives since 1999. The Macchi School started functioning in 2004 and since then it has provided full scholarships to an average of 90 students from 7th to 12th grade per year. This includes covering the costs of school supplies, teachers and other employees’ salaries, uniforms, food, first aid supplies, and other expenses such as transportation to participate in national competitions, workshops outside of school, sports matches, and other community-centered activities.

Your donation will give Milagros and other students like her the gift of a free, reliable way to get to and from school. Please donate to our GoFundMe to make a real difference in the lives of these students. Feel free to visit the Team Tobatí website to learn more.