María from Argentina

“It could be said that I’m wealthy”, says María Cruz – because she didn’t have to work as a student to support herself. This used to be the case for middle class people in Argentina in past decades, though not any more. Thanks to good grades, she won several scholarships and also got support from her family. She studied communications at a private university in Argentina then studied art in Berlin. Now María works in her home country for an educational foundation dedicated to improving training programs for those entering technical professions. The educational and professional development of future generations is important to Maria, and she worries about an increase in dropouts in the 12-18 age group. Leaving school at an early age often leads to social isolation, which is why the NGO for which María works also brings a travelling circus to poverty-stricken areas in Argentina. Part of the show is teaching circus tricks to kids so that they learn how to co-operate and how to challenge themselves. María has high regard for the project.