Sweaty palms, rapid heartbeat, pulsing nausea–the symptoms that mark a fear of public speaking are universal.
Four years ago, facing her audience in a newly built classroom, Lucia Yasaca Daquilema was trying to control her nerves. She took a deep breath and steadily looked the audience members in the eyes, just like her dad told her.
She had a speech to make.
If it went well, the 13-year-old would be the youngest member to join the inaugural Girls Club in her community of San Miguel. The age requirement was 15, and she was asking to be the exception.
At 10, Lucia suffered severe burns from the torso down. At first, she found walking too painful and rode on the back of her brother’s bike to get to school.
As her physical strength came back, her self-esteem did not.
“I was so afraid,” Lucia remembers. “I was so shy to talk to anyone.” The trauma had crippled her confidence.
When the Girls Club program came to her community in the mountains of Ecuador, Lucia’s father saw an opportunity for his youngest daughter.
The club is a WE Village initiative to keep girls in class. It teaches leadership skills while providing income opportunities to help families pay for school.