Doreen’s Story

Doreen grew up in a large family that continues to struggle with food scarcity and very little money to pay for school. Her mother stays home to care for the family while her father paints buildings for a living.

During her senior year, Doreen was in a serious fire accident that kept her from school for nearly five months, draining the little money her family had on surgeries and hospital bills. Like many families in her village, college education for girls was perceived as a waste of time and money. School girls were forced to marry young in exchange for a dowry for their families. When her family could not send her elder brother to college due to lack of funds, Doreen knew it was only a matter of time before her desire to go to college wouldn’t matter.

Tragically, her brother committed suicide. Doreen knew she found her calling to support communities, enabling them to speak up, help them overcome life’s challenges, and potentially prevent such tragedies.

Today, Doreen is pursuing her degree in arts with a major in social work as GLOW Scholar. Had she not had the opportunity to further her education in college, she would have been forced into an early marriage and would be working as a laborer in farms for low wages just to get through the day.