Education Mexico Project #37911

Education for 60 children living in acute poverty

by Atzin Mexico / Atzin Desarrollo Comunitario AC

Project Report | Jun 5, 2019
Education for kids - Stats 2018

By Susan Smith | Director

"The Shy Girl" colour print by Alejandro Aranda

Dear Friends of Atzin's Education for Kids Program,

We've painsakingly added up the numbers, checking them twice. Here are the stats for 2018 for our Tihueliske (We Can!) Education program for Children. This program has three components: Early Childhood Stimulation; Tihueliske Children; and,Tutoring.

Tihueliske Early Stimulation Program. Three afternoons per week for 4 hours for children aged 1-5 years. Given the importance of early stimulation in the development of young children, Atzin implemented this program in September 2016. Our small stimulation and learning center for young children operated through 2018 and progressed well. HIghlights included: training of two educators, for total of three; incorporation of three children with special needs; four meetings with parents; total number of registered children during 2017-2018 school year was 71 (41 girls; 30 boys). Average attendance per day: 11. Our plan is to maintain the program as is during 2019-20. By the end of July 2018,

Total number who regularly participated 36 (51%) (22 girls; 14 boys)

Total # who passed to kindergarten 13
Total # who passed to primary school 15
Total # who passed to Tihueliske Children 3
Total # who did not enter any school 5

Tihueliske Boys and Girls.
This program is for boys and girls between the ages of 6-13 years who do not attend public schools. It operates four days a week for 4.5 hours per day, and is taught by four educators. Evaluations are conducted three times per year to check the progress of each child. In the school year 2017-2018, the total number of registered boys and girls was 62. By the end of July 2018,

Total number who regularly participated 40 (65%) (26 girls; 14 boys)

Total # who passed to primary school 13
Total # who passed to Tihueliske Tutoring 2
Total # who left education 7
Total # who continued with Tihueliske Aug 18 22

This program has worked well for 12 years, helping children who do not attend formal school to have access to education and, in many cases, our children were able to enter the government education system - a sure sign of our successs! We continue to reach out to families with out-of-school children. For reasons related to poverty, migrant work patterns, and a non-reading culture, these parents simply cannot afford to enroll their children, or do not prioritize education and insist that their children attend regularly.

Tihueliske Tutoring
This program is aimed at children (8-11 years of age) who attend primary school but who are failing grade level and need individualized help to advance in their subjects at school. Classes are held in the afternoons for 2.5 hours, three days per week, with two educators.This program is more fluid because children tend to enroll individually, attend, and then stop attending when their performance at school improves. In September 2017, classes in one primary school were suspended because classrooms were damaged by the earthquake, and ten of their students attended Tihueliske Tutorial from September through December inclusive.

There were 65 children (38 girls; 26 boys) enrolled in the program during the 2017-2018 academic year.

Total # classes Aug 2017 to July 2018 110
Average attendance per day 14

A complete report on all Atzin programs - by the numbers - is available on the Atzin website. To have a look, go to www.atzin.org. Kindly remember that this report is only "by the numbers," basically counting attendance and classes. The other factors such as quality of educator time and attention, training and supervision of educators, perceptions of learners with subsequent program adjustments, administration and accounting are all just as important, can be really time-consuming and are not reflected with just numbers.

As always, we are grateful for your ongoing support - only with that generosity can we make everything happen!

Sincerely,

Susan

Links:

Have a look at the full 2018 program summary.

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Apr 2, 2019
Education: the real work of development

By Susan Smith | Director

Young girl in the doorway of her home

In October, a long line of people waited patiently to be attended in our clinic. Berta, a young mother of four children hesitantly entered. Under her black shawl, she cradled her six-month-old baby, Jose, on her arm. Berta anxiously repeated that Jose had diarrhea constantly and had not gained any weight since his birth. She explained that her husband gathered firewood to sell and that there was no money to take Jose to a specialist as they had been instructed to do on two visits to the village health centre.

I peeked under the shawl: Jose was a shock, barely there, skin and bone. His big eyes locked onto mine; his piercing gaze held me captive. Tears welled up.I breathed deeply, wiped my cheeks and thought, “This child will not die; let’s get started.”

In a matter of minutes, working as a team with Berta, we began: examine and treat Jose’s obvious stomach infection with a simple remedy; get a baseline weight and give Jose vitamins; mother the mother, praising her for breastfeeding; and lower the stress in her household with a food package of rice and beans to be prepared at home.

On their next visit a few days later, his stomach infection gone, Berta offered Jose rice cereal – he wolfed it down in a matter of seconds and wanted more. Over the next weeks, she added mashed banana, avocado, cooked carrots and some pureed chicken. After three months Jose weighed 5.4 kg and could sit up by himself. The crisis was over.

Sometimes, the answer to an immediate serious problem is relatively straightforward. Jose lived because his mother persisted in her search for help and never gave up; because he had a strong will to survive; and because the Atzin team responded quickly with caring attention and effective actions.

The truth is, in the midst of so much misery, even a small success is uplifting. Our collective spirit is nourished, and our commitment to loving actions is renewed, strengthening our sense of grace and of hope. This is the gradual building of resilience and the creation of opportunity - the real work of development.

Your support makes that happen.

Until next time, Susan

Links:

Atzin Mexico

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Feb 4, 2019
Next to Nothing in the Pantry but Tihueliske means We Can!

By Susan Smith | Director

Areceli interviews the household cook.

Dear Friends of Atzin,

While the children attend class in our Tihueliske Education Program, their mothers are working long and arduous days. The reality for the poorest families in Tlamacazapa is that if the adults don't work that day, the family doesn't eat. There is literally next to nothing in the kitchen for tomorrow.

Perhaps you, the reader, will say that I am stretching the truth in order to make a point. I wish that I was. This is a hand-to-mouth existence, and explains why so many children abandon their schooling in order to help their families earn money to buy food, or never enroll in school to begin with.

This truth came sharply into focus again very recently. In 2017-18 with financing from Rotary Club Lethbridge (Alberta, Canada), Atzin distributed ecological rocket stoves to 300 families trapped in acute poverty and cooking over an open, three-rock fire.

To better understand the adoption of the stoves, two young village women interviewed each female household head about family size, schooling, cooking habits and meal customs. Importantly, they inquired about the food on hand and asked to see it, noting the quantity of every ingredient.

Reviewing the questionaire findings, even the Atzin team was surprised... and dismayed. Half of the families had absolutely no food in the house. Another 25% had only a small amount - a kilo of dried beans, half of a cup of cooking oil or some white rice.

The drastic increase in the price of gasoline - a state-owned business - over the past year has, in turn, driven up the cost of living dramatically throughout the country. Households already struggling to survive are now much more on edge.

Atzin sees education as the gateway to more opportunity. Indeed, the program's name -- Tihueliske We Can! -- signals our shared belief, knowing that you too, as a program supporter, are in agreement.

Tihueliske We Can!

Sincerely, Susan

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