In 2009, Gina Chavez and Jodi Granado left their comfy lives in Central Texas for cold showers and chicken buses in Central America; to live out of a suitcase in El Salvador, where volcanoes and poverty loom large; to teach dramatic teenage girls in a gang-dominated barrio for eight months. They struggled, laughed, loved and received lots and lots of hugs.
But the mission didn’t end when they landed stateside in the Summer of 2010. Gina and Jodi immediately established Niñas Arriba, a college fund that offers full scholarships to a private, Catholic university for girls they lived with in Soyapango, as well as a 6-month paid internship upon graduation. Meet our graduates and students!
Thank you for your amazing support. These girls are wonderful and deserve every opportunity that we are afforded here in the United States. Thank you for joining us on this journey to bridge communities and changes lives through education and love!
- Gina y Jodi
“Educating girls in developing nations will change the world.”
Our Team
Gina Chavez
Gina Chavez is an award-winning musician who co-founded Ninas Arriba with her wife, Jodi Granado, after the couple did mission work there in 2009-2010.
jodi Granado
Jodi Granado is a high school teacher and basketball coach in Austin, Texas. She co-founded Ninas Arriba after she and her wife, Gina Chavez, did mission work in Soyapango, El Salvador.
David Holiday
David Holiday has spent over 30 years addressing civil society, human rights, and peace concerns in Central America. He discovered Gina in 2010 and helped bring Ninas Arriba to life. His love for and continued work in Latin America helps Ninas Arriba identify new student prospects and pursue innovative opportunities for our students. Stone Room Concerts, a 501(c)(3) that David founded, is the fiscal sponsor for Ninas Arriba.
Susan Andalora
Susan Andalora is the accountant for Ninas Arriba. She donates her time and talent to keep our accounts up-to-date.