When most of us learn about poverty in developing countries, we donate to a charity and wish we could do more. Katia Gomez went beyond wishing and has changed the face of rural education in Honduras forever.

If you think education is the key to permanent, sustainable change, this is a story you can’t miss. In 2009, Katia Gomez was a college student when she first traveled to Honduras on a spring break volunteer trip. While she was there, she witnessed first-hand the deplorable educational opportunities for children in villages all over the Honduran countryside. In many places, school stopped at sixth grade, and most girls were married and pregnant by their early teens.

Over the next few years, Katia formed Educate2Envision International, an organization dedicated to improving educational opportunities in poor communities.

What’s incredible about E2E is the way Katia started it. She didn’t think the problem was too big to solve. She didn’t wait for corporate backing. She just started, using whatever she could come up with to raise funds.

This is her story:

How You Can Support Educate2Envision

To continue their important work, E2E needs support. Here are some ways you can help them:

• Like their Facebook page.
• Make a donation. You can make a one-time donation or set up a recurring donation on a monthly or yearly basis.

And if you are a teacher, share this story with your students. It can be used as a springboard for all kinds of things, including their own service-learning projects. And it will change the way they look at the world: The next time they think there’s nothing they can do to solve big problems, ask them this: What would Katia do? ♦