As she finished chopping an onion, Marta welcomed us with a timid smile to the school kitchen at Fabretto’s San Isidro de Bolas Education Center. She had been waiting for us. “We’ve come to hear your story,” we told her, and as we sat together in a nearby classroom, her nerves washed away and she opened up about her life and her greatest motivation: her children.

Marta is a mother of four, and at just 34 years old, she is already a grandmother of a two-year-old girl. Her life has not been easy, but she broke into a smile as she told us about her two youngest children, who are excelling in Fabretto’s rural secondary education program (SAT). Through Fabretto, her children have been able to attend quality education programs near their rural community. Marta’s son Moises, 14, is in his second year of the program and was chosen for a scholarship to learn English with the ACCESS Program, a selective program offered by CCNN and the U.S. Embassy. His sister, Génesis, is just beginning the program at age 12.

Each morning, Marta and her children wake up at 4 AM to cook and eat breakfast, clean the house, hand wash clothes, and get ready for school. Marta herself never had access to education, and she told us that she never even began primary school. With her eyes shining with emotion, she told us that her children have begun teaching her how to read and write. The affection between them is obvious; when we asked Génesis about her mom, she said, “My mom isn’t like every other mom… She’s so good and kind to us.”

“For me, my children come first,” Marta reflected. “For all of us, Fabretto has been a huge help.” Her way of giving back is volunteering at Fabretto’s Center, where she cooks school lunch each day for two hundred youth. She also regularly attends Fabretto’s parent training programs to learn about nutrition and health.

At Fabretto, we deeply appreciate the contributions of the mothers of our students and encourage them to become involved with school activities. We’re proud to work with inspiring moms like Marta, whose story shares the unconditional love and devotion that a mother has for her children.

This Mother’s Day, honor the sacrifices that the mothers of Fabretto students make for their children by filling an urgent need. In many Nicaraguan families, mothers cannot afford to cover all of the costs of their children’s education. Give a gift to mom and her children by donating to cover the cost of school supplies.