Hello everyone, and happy fall. It is finally growing colder now in our part of the world. In Nepal winter is coming; in Nicaragua, the rains are finally dissipating somewhat; in Haiti, any seasonal changes are outweighed by the violence and fear ruling that country. We think every day about all our students and hope for their safety and success.

Luckily, we get news regularly from many of them, so we know they are safe and healthy and doing well in school. Here are some updates for all of you from them. As ever, please go to their individual pages for more information.

In Nicaragua, Karina is moving ahead rapidly with her tourism business. She and her team have been clearing the land of rocks, building a viewing deck, and buying supplies to build a latrine, put up tents with cots, and create a welcoming atmosphere. We are amazed at how fast she is going, and how much drive she has.

In Guatemala, Valentina is back to loving school and outpacing her grade. She was recently awarded valedictorian status, and became the flag-bearer for the annual independence day parade. We are so excited she is enthusiastic about school again! She does need surgery on her foot for a benign cyst that is causing her a great deal of pain, so we will be helping her with that during her vacation so she doesn’t miss any school (her idea).

Jenipher Joseph is off to teaching school in Tanzania! She is so excited and we are so excited for her! Jenipher Anselm is doing so well in engineering school. In early October, we received word that she was awarded an A for her work in her field industrial training. She will be starting her second year very soon!

Bharosha in Nepal has started her 11th grade (“college”) for nursing in a nearby town. She’s so excited and happy, and so are we.

In Haiti, Achecaina’s school has moved online due to the violence and the fuel blockade. We have paid for her to have a tablet so she can continue studying and not fall behind. It seems a small thing to do to make sure she can still study.

And finally, because everyone needs to see something this lovely and happy, here is a wonderful video from Nepal. Our student Amrita is in the middle of the front row in this celebration of Tihar. It makes our hearts happy to see this beautiful video and to see how grown up Amrita is!

Again we want to express our gratitude to all of you for donating and helping these amazing young women accomplish their dreams. The world is a better place already because of them, and your help is making it an even better place for all of us. Thank you so much.

The ONE Board: Birgit, Christa, Heather, Janeece, Leslie, and Meghan