First Kaya kid to graduate as Valedictorian

October 5, 2009 -- Marcos, one of our first high school graduates and the first child to enter Kaya's residential program, recently received recognition as the valedictorian of his school’s graduating class. The ceremony included a presentation of other graduates in La Paz, a speech from the vice-mayor of La Paz’s Zona Sur, and the presentation of certificates. The ceremony also included a portion during which students were asked to express their ideas of how to confront the problem of teenage alcoholism and drug addiction. Marcos answered these questions with great maturity.

Luis Carlos Ruiz (Pato), the director of Kaya’s Bolivian office, attended the ceremony with Marcos. “As a member of Kaya Children International, it was a happy moment for me to see the fruit of all the work Kaya has done for these boys,” Pato expressed, “This demonstrated that the work that Kaya is doing is not in vain.” Seeing Marcos in his uniform is a reminder for all of us at Kaya why it is important that we continue working with these boys to help them transform their lives and enable them to reach their dreams.