Mario, 23, started working for Common Hope | Familias de Esperanza in February 2018, but he has been familiar with the organization for much longer. Mario first came to the Family Development Center in Antigua more than ten years ago. He was an affiliated student for six years and the last two years of his affiliation he had a Sponsor, Mariana. The relationship with his sponsor meant a lot to Mario.
“The most important lesson I learned here at Common Hope is to never give up. I got great support from my sponsor and different programs here at the project. They made education possible for me and motivated me to be a better person, and for that reason I never failed a year of school,” says Mario. Mario’s dream was to become a mechanic. On Saturdays he would spend time at a repair shop to learn all about cars. Mario graduated in 2013 with an Industrial High School diploma and expertise in car mechanics. After finishing his supervised internship at a car repair shop in Antigua, they offered him a job.
“Common Hope made it possible for my siblings and I to graduate from high school and to get a formal job. We are helping move our family forward and support our parents with whatever they need. They cared for us for years and now we can care for them.”
Eventually, Mario made his way back to Common Hope after seeing an job opening for a Driver/Mechanic. Now, he supports the mission by driving patients from the clinic home or to other appointments, providing transportation to those who join our twice-weekly Pueblo Tour, and coordinating transportation for staff. Mario says what he enjoys most about his job is getting to know the people he drives and doing mechanical work. Mario always makes sure all of the Common Hope vehicles are in the best working condition.
Since graduating, Mario has not stopped dreaming of the future. He wants to keep learning, whether it’s practicing English or possibly going back to University. He also has a dream to build a house for him and his parents to live in. In ten years he says he hopes to still work for Common Hope, have a university degree in administration or engineering, and have a family of his own, plus continue to support his parents.
M
ario would like to add,
“I am deeply grateful with Common Hope. Thanks to this organization, I am who I am today. Thanks to Common Hope I could finish my studies and I am completely happy to work here. Each day I give the best of myself to help other people like the Common Hope staff helped me. I have worked for Common Hope for seven months now and the work I do fulfills me. I get to know new people and make new friends. Everyone here gives everything so that we can help many families in need. Every day that passes I grow as a person and I hope to continue that for many years to come!”
Common Hope is so grateful to Mario for sharing his big heart with us, and for all of the hard work and inspiration he brings to the organization every day. He is an ambitious young man with a bright future, and we are fortunate to have him on our team!
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