00:00Good afternoon, Mrs. Morley, distinguished judges, dear sisters, ladies and gentlemen.
00:06It is truly an honor to be here today.
00:10My name is Vanessa Kraljevic, and I'm the founder of the Right to Real Education.
00:16I started this project a long time ago because when I was a baby, my father passed away.
00:24But I saw how education gave my mother a voice, a profession, and the means to put food on our
00:31table.
00:32So I wanted other children in my same position to have the opportunity to break scarcity cycles.
00:41But one day, I woke up doubting myself.
00:45I had this question, Vanessa, you've dedicated your life to expanding access to education.
00:50But is education truly the tool that changes lives, or was your case just a lucky coincidence?
00:58This lingered in the back of my head for a couple of days.
01:01Soon after, we started collaborating with a children's home that takes in children that have survived violence.
01:12There I met their lawyer, Mercedes.
01:15She was strong and brave.
01:17She defended vulnerable people from bad people.
01:20I studied law, so as you can imagine, I was impressed with her.
01:26Then, I learned something I will never forget.
01:29The first time she arrived in that children's home, she was 11 years old.
01:36She was once one of the children she now defends.
01:39But she received an education, quality skills,
01:43to help her not only defend herself and transform her life, but defend others.
01:49That's when I never doubted my purpose again.
01:52Education changes lives.
01:54What we do at the Right to Education matters.
01:57And what you all do here with your social projects matter.
02:00We might not see the results today or tomorrow, but in 10, in 20 years, when we meet the next
02:08Mercedes,
02:09the next woman that through education became the hero she was needed.
02:14However, with time, I came to understand that education today has evolved.
02:20It's not about access to a classroom anymore.
02:23In a world guided by technology and innovation, education must do more than help children survive the present.
02:31It must help them thrive in the future by giving them economic independence.
02:38That is why, in our project, we focus on technological education with a STEM foundation.
02:44We provide courses in AI management, animation, computer science, web design, Python programming, and digital responsibility.
02:52Our work serves children that have lost parental support and children from underserved communities who normally have no internet connection.
03:03And we provide scholarships, mentorships, and practical support.
03:07And thanks to our partnership, we currently have more than 30 volunteers supporting and serving over 1,250 children.
03:19We currently have thousands and thousands of scholarships to continue delivering.
03:23I know it's a lifelong commitment, but it's definitely one worth taking, because every scholarship means a life that is
03:31being rewritten.
03:33And if there is something I learned through this journey, it's that no meaningful change is done alone.
03:41Every partner, every volunteer, every teacher, and every child who believed in this project made it happen today.
03:49That is why I invite you all here to be part of it as well.
03:54And most especially, to keep fighting for the causes that matter the most to you.
03:59Because we can chase success and recognition our whole lives.
04:05But true fulfillment, that one that fills your heart, only comes when we realize that our lives belong to the
04:14service to others.
04:16Many thanks.
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