Enrique was raised with four older siblings in the community of Quelcanca (the furthest and very rural community of the Patakancha Valley). He grew up as an orphan, with his sister’s family, and raised his younger brother on his own. Because of this, he was not able to start primary school until he was 12 years old. He has a strong desire to study to become a professional. He says, “all of my siblings are nothing, and I have to be more determined in my studies if I want to pursue further education and, therefore, better myself for the future - for the good of myself, my community, and my country.” He has been one of the strongest leaders in the Mosqoy program and continues to act and speak well beyond his years.

About this scholarship

This scholarship is for a program that is a three-month work experience practicum, in the students’ career fields, which provides students with sufficient real-world training before their graduation in order to be employable in competitive industries. It is the equivalent of Cooperative Education internships or “work semesters” seen in many universities. This practicum is arranged through the post-secondary institutes, together with community partner organizations. One practicum semester, after the student completes his/her degree program, is mandatory in order to graduate from the Americana Institute of Cusco. The full cost of this program is $535 USD and Mosqoy will be supplementing the amount raised by Education Generation to cover student’s total expenses. Overall, this program is very important as it benefits the students in many ways. Most importantly, through this program, students are able to obtain real-world work experience in their own communities.