It's been a few hours since dawn broke in the region and Manuel is already on the truck on his way to work at the Reny Picot company. He's a worker like the rest, but unlike other passengers, this characteristic has taken him years of preparation and an unbreakable strength, which helped him get ahead with the help of the Enlac Institute, which today is proud to see its graduate forming part of the productive force of Cuauhtémoc.

His bosses are proud of Manuel Miramontes' performance because, although at first they gradually taught him the trade of an industrial worker, where he is dedicated to filling and packing boxes with bags of powdered milk, today, Leonel Zamarrón, Head of the Portioning Area, assures that he does not have to be ordered around, because he knows what to do and does it efficiently, even paying more attention to his duties than his colleagues.

“We've made progress with his activities day by day. He feels a lot of responsibility; he doesn't need to be given any instructions; he does what he has to do and does it very well. Manuel truly sets an example for many of us; he wakes up eager to get things done, he has no limits, he can do anything,” says his boss.

As Manuel goes about his day at the plant, his mother, Esther Pérez López, waits for him at home. She explains that her son was born with a psychomotor delay, meaning he can perform any activity, but he's a little slower. This condition, they thought, would make it impossible for him to hold a job like everyone else.

However, thanks to the company Reny Picot and ENLAC, through an agreement reached by the industry, they accepted the young man with only three exceptions: he would have to take only the morning shift, which puts him in a complicated situation, since everyone rotates their schedules and he has to work with three different groups of colleagues.

The second was to take Manuel to the company's transportation stop, which by a fortunate coincidence was possible, since the driver who drives Reny's truck lives two blocks from his house.

Finally, he used a regular padlock for his locker, as the rest of the employees use a series of numbers to open the device, something Manuel hasn't been able to memorize, so he opted for a regular key.

Manuel is a much-loved colleague. Everyone admires him for his enthusiasm that makes a difference in his work. He's a smiling young man who focuses on getting things done and happily receives his pay at the end of the week.

"It's been surprising how we've been able to leverage that workforce (...) we've treated them with the same responsibilities, with the same obligations as everyone who works for us, obviously, with the same rights.

"It has served to make our people appreciate and see that when someone wants to work and get ahead, the only thing missing is for us to give them an opportunity," says Eleazar Chaparro, head of Human Resources at Reny Picot, who believes that all companies should give themselves the opportunity to have employees like Manuel.

It's time to leave, it's payday, Manuel signs and receives his paycheck, with a huge smile, now, he heads home, determined to spend his salary on groceries and whatever his mom needs for the house.

Like any other young man, he dreams of one day finding a good woman who loves him and wants to start a family with him, which he will surely find, and with whom they will raise children together under the good example of a hard-working father.

With tears of emotion in her eyes, his mother expresses that she never thought that one day her son would become as independent as he is today, trusting in God that everything Manuel sets his mind to can become a reality.

Manuel's case has been possible thanks to the efforts, first of all, of the young man and his family, but of course, of the ENLAC Institute, which has not let go of its students, who are receiving support far beyond just attending training, explains Esperanza Valdez, Director of the institution.

Community support is essential to continue fighting so that every day there are more young people like him, integrated into society, willing to demonstrate that no obstacle is too great to overcome the will of a human being determined to fulfill a dream.