The first recipient of a Hope Project grant is Marden Moran. Marden is 18, the fourth of Denis and Ivania Moran’s seven children. Denis and Ivania are committed that each of their children have the opportunity to attend college, and they have worked tirelessly to make that possible. In 2010, UMass Doctor Michael Chin and I established the Microloans for Community Health program, which provided Ivania and Denis with a $2500 loan to expand their business providing food in the schools. The loan was a success, and so far every one of their adult children is attending or has graduated from college.
Marden was my first friend in Tololar, starting when he was 14, and he became one of my best friends anywhere. Marden is one of the brightest, most interested-in-the-world people I’ve ever known. He can identify practically any of Tololar’s bird, insect and plant species on sight, and he was the most enthusiastic participant in any project I suggested, ever. His endless humor, creativity and resourcefulness were largely behind any project that I successfully completed in Peace Corps.
Marden is currently studying for a degree in Agriculture and Veterinary Science at INTAE-León. We want to use this grant to bring him on a visit to the United States, because it will blow his mind, in the best possible ways. If he’s this bright and motivated in such an impoverished environment, then I imagine that exposure to this country will light him on fire. Marden has never ridden on a plane or driven a car, but given the chance, he could build them. He’s that bright.
Please consider donating for this grant, and others in the future. The results aren’t as tangible or quantifiable as our other programs, but it’s my favorite initiative, and it can make an absolutely massive difference in someone’s life.