When educators began taking a closer look at Ezequiel’s performance in school, something did not add up. He was intelligent, engaged, and committed to his studies, yet he seemed to face increasing challenges in the classroom. He struggled to copy from the board, needed to sit very close to his work to complete assignments, and sometimes appeared unable to follow instructions that seemed simple for other children.

Those who knew him understood that he was capable and eager to learn. That raised an important question: what was really happening?

Ezequiel grew up in the Betania neighborhood of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, a community that faces many of the challenges common in vulnerable urban areas of the capital, including poverty, limited access to services, and recurring flooding during heavy rains. Since the age of three, he had participated in activities at Fundación ACOES’s community center, one of our Impact Partners, where he quickly became known as a responsible and respectful student who was always willing to help others. On several occasions, he was even asked to support younger children with their schoolwork.

That is why his struggles were so puzzling.

The story had begun years earlier.

When Ezequiel was around four years old, his mother, Tania Zúñiga, noticed a small shadow in one of his eyes. Concerned, she began seeking medical help. Over the years, he received different treatments and was prescribed eye drops, but with limited resources for medical care, no one conducted the tests needed to understand what was truly affecting his vision. Like many families in Honduras, Tania faced significant barriers to accessing specialized healthcare. Nearly 8 in 10 Hondurans lack health insurance, making specialized evaluations and follow-up care difficult to obtain for many low-income families.

Later, another specialist diagnosed cataracts and prescribed glasses. For a time, the glasses seemed to help. However, the improvement was temporary. As Ezequiel grew older, the challenges returned, and by the age of eight, the glasses were no longer enough to help him function normally.

Tania continued searching for answers. As a single mother raising three children without stable employment, every medical appointment required significant sacrifice. Yet she remained determined to understand what was happening to her son.

Meanwhile, Ezequiel did everything he could to keep up with his classmates. Tasks that seemed simple for other children required extraordinary effort from him. He had to sit very close to read, struggled to copy information from the board, and sometimes could not identify objects or details that others noticed immediately.

“I felt like I couldn’t see things that were far away or even things that were close to me,” Ezequiel recalls.

“We would ask him to bring us something, and he would come back with the wrong item,” Tania recalls. “When I asked what was happening, he would tell me that he couldn’t see well.”

His situation eventually caught the attention of educators involved in the Sinergias program, implemented by Fundación ACOES. Sinergias is an innovative program to help children with disabilities and promote inclusive education in the communities that ACOES serves. With Ezequiel, the process began with an evaluation to better understand what was affecting his learning. Educators observed a child with clear potential who seemed to be facing a barrier that no one could fully explain.

“He has all the abilities,” says Reina, one of the educators who accompanied him throughout the process. “We knew there was something affecting him that had nothing to do with his ability to learn.”

In 2025, with financial support from Fundación Adey, Fabretto and ACOES collaborated to provide eye exams for children in ACOES schools, through the Sinergias program. This initiative helped 60 children receive the eyeglasses they needed to thrive in school and focus on learning. 

Answers finally began to emerge for Ezequiel during the eye exams. Evaluations conducted by specialists revealed signs that required immediate attention. Three ophthalmologists participated in Ezequiel’s assessment, and at the age of eleven, he finally received a definitive diagnosis: uveitis, an inflammatory condition that was seriously affecting his eyesight.

For the first time, everything made sense.

The difficulties in the classroom, the constant effort required to read and write, the need to sit close to books and the board, and the frustration that had accompanied much of his childhood all had an explanation that had remained hidden for years.

The diagnosis also brought a new challenge. To prevent further deterioration of his vision, Ezequiel needed surgery. Each procedure costs approximately 29,000 Honduran lempiras per eye—an impossible amount for Tania to afford.

“I felt frustrated because I knew he had a problem, and there was nothing I could do about it,” she says.

Fundación ACOES, with support from the Fundación Adey and Fabretto, helped Ezequiel gain access to specialized evaluations, medical follow-up, and the surgeries he needed. The first procedure took place in September 2025, followed by a second surgery in February 2026.

The results were almost immediate.

One of the first things Ezequiel remembers noticing after surgery was how clear everything looked.

“As soon as I saw the results of the surgery, I started being able to see things far away,” he says.

For the first time, he could see the classroom board from his seat, complete assignments without bringing notebooks close to his face, and move through daily life with greater confidence.

“When I looked at the board, which used to be difficult for me, I could finally see it better.”

His mother noticed important changes as well. Beyond the improvement in his vision, she saw greater independence, increased confidence, and a new approach to school and learning.

His educators observed the same transformation. The child who had once seemed held back by an invisible barrier began participating more confidently and demonstrating abilities that had always been there.

Today, Ezequiel is in eighth grade and continues to excel academically. He dreams of continuing his education and building a future filled with opportunity.

Beyond One Child’s Story

Ezequiel’s experience reflects the purpose of the Sinergias program, an inclusive education initiative launched by ACOES in 2011 to identify and address the barriers that prevent children from reaching their full potential. Implemented by Fundación ACOES with support from the Fundación Adey and facilitated by Fabretto, the program provides specialized support to children with disabilities or learning challenges, helping them remain in school and access the opportunities they need to thrive.

Ezequiel’s story demonstrates how timely intervention can change the course of a life. What initially appeared to be a learning difficulty turned out to be a health condition that had gone undiagnosed for years.

His story reminds us that the challenges children face are not always visible at first glance. Behind what appears to be a learning struggle may be an unmet health, developmental, or educational need. When families, educators, healthcare professionals, and organizations work together to uncover those hidden barriers, lives can be transformed. Ezequiel’s story highlights the power of partnership, coming together to find solutions to community challenges. 

For Ezequiel, everything changed when someone looked beyond the surface and asked what was preventing a bright young student from reaching his potential. The answer changed his life and now allows him to see both the world and his future with a clarity that once seemed out of reach.

Be Part of the Next Success Story

Ezequiel’s future changed because someone helped uncover the barrier standing in his way. Many other children are still waiting for that same opportunity.

Your donation can help identify hidden challenges and connect children with the support they need to learn, grow, and build brighter futures.

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