Maria’s father abandoned the family leaving his wife and six children alone in the house. Apparently, he has left them for another woman whom he married, and he has not been helping to provide for his children.

The mother is a peasant who grows food to feed the children and she asks her relatives to support her in other basic needs like clothing and school fees. Sometimes these relatives are unable to help and in these times the children need to stay home and cannot go to school.

Maria’s mother borrowed another piece of land to start growing a little more food which she hopes to sell so that she can afford to clothe her children as well as provide medical care when they are sick, but it isn’t enough to pay for them to go to school.

Maria Theresa is the fourth out of the six children and she loves learning so much that she would like to become a doctor when she grows up.