“It’s like climbing a mountain… if I got to the top, it’s time to reach out and help those who are coming up,” says Jaime Obando, whose story seems one out of a movie.

Jaime is a systems engineer, living in California, USA. He works in a computer lab, where he is part of a team specialized on data retrieval. Jaime knows quite a lot about numbers and can therefore tell that, statistically speaking, his is one special case,favored by fortune: having been born where he was, he should never have gotten to where he is now.

Jaime was born to a low income family in Guatemala. “I used to go out and help my father in the coffee farm I was raised in, but never before finishing my homework,” Jaime recalls. His mother was determined to find fulfillment opportunities for her son, as a result of which she came across Common Hope, a Minnesota-based organization. They partner with impoverished children, families, and communities in Guatemala, providing opportunities in education, health care, and housing. Through Common Hope’s programs, thousands of children get the education they need to overcome poverty and become agents of change in their communities. Thanks to Common Hope, a New Yorker named Terry Kidner learned about Jaime, and became his sponsor.

During the following 12 years, Terry covered 60% of Jaime’s expenses in education – from high school to University in Guatemala. “It was my exit door from the poverty situation we lived in,” says Jaime. “Only 1% of the population in my country can access to higher education.”

Jaime as a graduate.

“I often imagine how my life would have been if my mother hadn’t found this opportunity for me. I would not have been able to finish high school, nor attend University; I would probably be working in a factory, or in a town restaurant like some of my friends.”

Driven by the desire to give back, in 2013 Jaime and his wife Laura started to sponsor a Guatemalan child through Common Hope, becoming the first scholar ever to become himself a sponsor. The couple supports Dennis, a fifth grader and eldest of 4 brothers from a family living in communal lands in San Miguel Milpas Altas. They recently travelled to meet the boy and his family in the farm. “As happens with most low income families in my country, they share what little they have: we were greeted by them with a traditional lunch. Their small peach plantation reminded me of when I used to help my grandfather gather fruit to be sold at the marketplace,” recollects Jaime.

Jaime with Dennis in his 2013 visit to Guatemala

“Somewhere in the world there is a child waiting for an opportunity. There’s a future doctor, a future architect, a future engineer, a boy or a girl waiting for a chance to move forward,” shared Jaime, the main character of this story combining generosity with a strong will to succeed. “Many believe that only millionaires can be philanthropists, but in my opinion, if one’s got the initiative and the will to do good for society, you just have to go for it!”

Why do you think so many people, while being able to, still don’t support projects like this one? “I think many people don’t get involved mainly because of lack of information or distrust, and also due to lack of interest in helping others. In my case, I can endorse the whole process: the scholar receives health insurance, access to a dentist, education, school supplies and tutoring, if needed.”

Coupling generosity with courage and sacrifice, Jaime’s story defies those statistics according to which the majority of kids born to poor families will remain poor for the rest of their lives. This story is a “pay it forward” example between common people that help each other move forward.

AND NOW, THE BONUS…  MEET TERRY!

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