You may wonder how a girl so lovely can be the victim of bullying, but it’s true. Daniela Solano, who is in 7th grade and attends our Help & Hope Center in Buenos Aires, Cucuta, participated in the spelling bee a few weeks ago, coming in 3rd place.  Her outstanding finish sparked something in some of her classmates, who began bullying her at school.

​

It got to the point where Daniela was exhausted from the stress. She began leaving early to avoid the girls waiting to fight her in the school bathroom and taunt her with aggressive language.

​

“Everybody laughed at me for participating in the spelling bee; but that didn’t stop me. I did my best with the help of teachers, and I was proud of my results,” Daniela told us.

​

Daniela also loves to sing. When she asked her teacher Rosmary if she could perform for the other children, Rosmary was supportive and said she’d get up there and sing with Daniela, too.

​

After their performance, something wonderful happened. The students who were bullying Daniela had a change of heart. They even began asking her about Andean Aid, about her teacher, Rosmary, and wondered if they could study with her.

​

Daniela says she is confident about herself now, happy her life is an example to others.