The answer lies in a small group of teenagers in a Masaya community called Villa Betania.
It was November, 2007 and I was volunteering at Alternativa, a local microfinance institution. Alternativa had a community development department. (By department, I mean they had a group of two or three people whose mandate was to visit communities and work with them to identify their needs and improve their living situations.)
One such community was Villa Betania.
The initial outreach meeting I attended took place on the evening of November 5th, 2007. Total attendance was about 25 with a mixture of adults, teenagers, and children.
The Alternativa representative started his shtick in front of the group. The presentation amounted to putting a huge paper clipboard in front, brainstorming about challenges faced in the community, and prioritizing them.
One of the items on the community bucket list that evening was education.
The teenagers in the community wanted to study computers but didn't have the resources. They felt it was important to know how to use a computer. Logical.
It perked my curiosity.
After the meeting, I spoke with a few of the young people. Keep in mind that it not typical to see teenagers at meetings like this. (Borrriiing!)
I was struck by their earnest desire to study. And the sparkle in their eyes.
That fateful evening BECA.org was hatched.
I went on to put together a pilot project so that seven teens could study computers. Their participation was excellent and it motivated me to develop the concept.
One of those seven teens was in attendance that evening. Her name was Eyling de Jesús Reyes. We learned recently that Eyling passed away suddenly in November 2012.
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| Villa Betania, November 5th, 2007. Eyling is the young woman on the far left. |
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| Jornada Deportiva, Masaya (25 April 2013) |
This legacy is yours, Eyling. Muchas gracias.
*The BECA May newsletter was dedicated to Eyling. It includes a beautiful commentary by Coordinator Sorania Dávila.
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