A village in rural Ecuador is lifted out of poverty by a new school.

María Chisag lives in Cruz de Arenal, Ecuador, a rural indigenous village near the Chimborazo Ecological Reserve. The village sits at 13,000 feet above sea level, where almost nothing can grow. The villagers live off of what few animals they have and money sent by the men who move to the cities for work. María always dreamed of getting an education so she could build a better life for her family and her village.

For many years, María and the other children of Cruz de Arenal attended a school that was falling apart and could not provide the proper tools for learning. A few years ago, children around the world came together to raise funds for a bilingual primary school in her community. The new school provides school supplies and textbooks so María and her classmates can learn.

María has now graduated from primary school, and she is excited about continuing her education through a distance education program. She hopes that the skills she continues to learn at school will help her bring more resources to Cruz de Arenal.