Six years ago, when we met Edison in Quito, he was about 11 years old. He is the eldest of three kids, his father works in construction and his mother works once in a while as a cleaning lady. His parents came to us for support, because Edison had epilepsy and they could not afford the medical costs. DCF found a sponsor - family Hogeboom - who liked the idea of creating better chances for Edison. Thanks to them, the boy got admitted to our fund. As of that moment he received good treatment and could also attend school. The seizures got less and less over the years and in the end, his doctor even declared him cured.
Soon, Edison decided that he wanted to learn a profession after primary school. He chose a technical education, to become an auto mechanic. It was not always easy during his studies, being the eldest of a family with little financial income. But Edison showed a lot of willpower and a strong sense of responsibility. Every time again, he and his family overcame the problems they were facing. Edison has been a great example for the rest of his family. His choices and ambitions made them all stronger. And in July 2009, Edison graduated! His family members and Edison himself are very proud and thankful. It is great that Edison has been able to reach this.
Now that he is 18 years old, he is leaving our fund. But this does not stop Edison from realizing his future plans. On the contrary, he has been learning in the past few years to become more and more self-independent. Edison now creates his own chances, all by himself. He has found a job in a garage to earn some money during the day. In the evenings, he will continue to study at the technical university. We have a lot of respect for Edison and will definitely stay in contact with him and his family!
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