At a glance
- Goes to school in the mornings when he can and works with a relative in the afternoons, because it is needed at home.
- Some weeks work comes first and school does not happen at all.
- When his mind drifts in class he gets told off for not paying attention, as if it were on purpose; he remembers the one teacher who asked why he looked tired.
- Has not really asked for help, because he did not think there was a "help" to ask for; it felt like something he just had to manage himself or with family.
- The relative he works with is also the person who actually helped, checking whether Diego understood the homework even while they are working.
- Nobody has ever explained his rights to school, to help, or to be heard; he assumed working instead of school was a choice made at home, not something anyone owed him an answer for.
In their words
Money doesn't wait for school.
I didn't think there was a "help" to ask for. It felt like something I just had to manage myself or with family.
What they want changed
He wants school and work to stop being a fight against each other: maybe classes at a different time, or someone checking in instead of just marking him absent. What he wants readers to understand: missing school is not the same as not caring about it.
If this is close to home: help lines
How this profile was made
Interviewed by Bella. Consent was given before the interview; the interviewee knows the profile is public and anonymous and may withdraw it until the content freeze. The avatar is drawn from a seed and was never chosen to resemble anyone.
What this page shows about them
- Age
- 12-14
- Region
- Central America
- Schooling
- irregular attendance
Age band, UN sub-region and schooling status only. A country appears here only with the interviewee's permission. No town, no school, no exact age, no date of birth.
- Approved by Bella
- Identifying details checked
- Safe messaging checked
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