Victoria

Victoria, a Mixtec woman from the state of Oaxaca, has faced a lifetime of hardship.  Growing up in an abusive environment, she spent her childhood caring for her younger siblings and was not allowed to attend school.  She migrated to the town of Colonial Oaxaca just outside Ensenada, Mexico.  She hoped that marriage would provide her with a better life, but as she puts it, it felt like "jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire."  Still living in extreme poverty, Victoria and her family have built a small, makeshift structure where they struggle to survive.  Despite these challenges, she has learned how to garden and has become quite skilled at growing food to help support her family.

Victoria’s greatest focus is on her six children.  Often working two jobs to keep them from going hungry, she has realized the transformative power of education.  Having recently become literate herself, she is now pursuing her GED.  She understands how vital education is for both her own future and her children’s, doing everything in her power to ensure that they receive the opportunities she never had.  This past summer, she demonstrated her unwavering dedication by walking long distances to government offices to secure valid birth certificates for each of her children, a key step toward opening doors for them.

Victoria’s deepest dream is to own a safe, secure home for her and her family—a place where she no longer has to fear losing her children to the uncertainties of poverty.  Teaching Amor hopes to make this dream a reality by purchasing land for her.  This will be provided as a scholarship and/or microloan that correlates with her school.  If land can be secured by February, another nonprofit has committed to building a house for Victoria and her family in March.  With this support, Victoria and her children could finally have a stable and secure future.

Lean about our goal for building Victoria and her children a home in 2025.