Ambra and Jorida graduated from the Amaro Tan School in Pogradec in June. Although you would not guess it by looking at them, both girls come from desperately poor families. By successfully completing ninth grade, they have already attained a higher level of education than most girls from their Balkan Egyptian and Albanian communities. But they aren’t done yet. Ambra and Jorida were awarded full scholarships to the private, college preparatory Nehemia High School in Pogradec, and started tenth grade there this fall.

Ambra and Jorida both participated in the after-school tutoring program at Amaro Tan last year, made possible through fundraising by NG-USA. They received extra help in math, English, and science to get them ready for the more academically rigorous environment in high school.

Ambra likes high school.She says the extra tutoring definitely helped, and that she felt well prepared to start.She reports that “everything is wonderful there: the food, the teachers, the environment.” She dreams of finishing high school and going on to medical school to someday become a doctor. She has a strong orientation toward helping people, and this summer she even spent three weeks at Amaro Tan’s summer camp, working with the youngest children. Says Ambra, “I feel I must be useful and give something in return."

Jorida agrees that the tutoring helped, but admits that high school is difficult, and the amount of studying and homework is a real adjustment. She will continue to have extra help available if she needs it, so she can continue to learn and grow. She aspires to study in Germany after graduation, and to someday work as an English teacher.

Both girls say thank you to the donors who have invested in their education. “I am really grateful for everything they have done for me,” says Jorida. “They have been a great help for me moving forward,” Ambra adds.