David’s* life had already asked much of him.
From an early age, he understood responsibility. His mother sold traditional snacks from a cart on a street corner, and his father drove a mototaxi, transporting people through the community. At different times, David accompanied each of them, quietly observing their determination even when work became difficult.
He joined Back2Back Cancun programming seven years ago.
When staff first met him, he wore worn yellow shorts, a faded t-shirt, and well-used sandals. When he stood still, they noticed scars on his feet from walking long distances. As they got to know the family, they learned that David often woke before sunrise to accompany his mother to work. He would sit on a small chair beside her cart, ready if she needed him to run an errand.
Sometimes he rode with his father in the mototaxi, treasuring the time together. It was on those rides that his father repeated the same encouragement.
“You must study,” he told him. “You can have better opportunities than I did.”
In 2020, everything changed.
David and his mother faced an unimaginable loss when his father passed away from COVID-19. His mother fell into deep depression, withdrawing from daily life. The quiet boy who had once sat patiently beside his parents changed.
Conflict followed him into the classroom, and his frustration turned into aggression toward classmates. His teachers struggled to understand him, and his mother, overwhelmed by grief, didn’t know how to help. Eventually, David moved in with his grandmother.
When schools reopened and life settled again, David made a quiet decision.
He stopped going.
After months of falling behind and constant disruptions in class, he no longer believed he could return and succeed. It is often these moments, without intervention, that children quietly disappear from school.
Children who step away from school rarely find their way back without support. The pull of peer pressure grows stronger, and survival choices replace long-term hopes. The boy who once listened to his father talk about education could have slowly drifted away from school altogether.
Something new became possible in 2023.
Because supporters believed children who had fallen behind deserved another chance, Back2Back launched an Education Program in Cancun. The program was created for children who had fallen behind after the pandemic, children carrying challenges far heavier than schoolwork alone.
David was among the most eager of students when programming was announced.
“I clearly remember the smile on his face every time he asked when classes would begin,” shares Ersy Caporali, Back2Back staff. “He kept asking when he could sign up.”
When David arrived, his enthusiasm was unmistakable. Beneath it, staff quickly recognized something many students shared: large learning gaps and emotional wounds that traditional classrooms didn’t have time to address.
Together, the educational team and children began the slow work of rebuilding.
Students received individualized learning support while also practicing emotional regulation and developing the social skills that help children feel safe enough to learn again. Progress didn’t happen overnight, but little by little, there were moments worth celebrating.
David rediscovered confidence in the classroom. His teachers noted an unexpected, but natural, ability in mathematics. Once overwhelming concepts started to make sense, and the student who’d walked away from school leaned back in.
Today, David is learning again, discovering abilities he once doubted he had. And somewhere in those moments of success, the words his father spoke years ago still echo:
“You must study.”
Because when someone steps in before a child disappears from school, a future that once seemed out of reach becomes possible again. And right now, around the world, there are children just like David in need of someone to step in and reactivate their desire to learn and grow. Will you step in?
