End Poverty and Empower Women Through Education

Dear donor,

We hope that you and your family are very well.  It is a great pleasure to share our students' progress with you.

We had many activities and workshops from January to March:

We thank the EDEX Education Group for the conference on postgraduate opportunities abroad and for opening the doors to explore scholarships from various organizations.  Together, we will explore opportunities with interested students.

The Saloma Foundation offered our beneficiaries the "Menstrual Health" workshop as part of its Women in Movement program.  The workshop aimed to raise awareness about health and hygiene during menstruation and support them through a healthy period, thus improving their academic performance and social and emotional health.

In February, we had a workshop where we delved into the meaning of our values in the students' daily lives: Honesty, Trust, Respect, Responsibility, Excellence, and Dignity. Each reflected and shared their understanding and how they practice these values in their daily lives, at university, in family relationships, and in the La Cima facility when interacting in the community.

In March, we had a series of Self-Knowledge workshops where each student did her personal SWOT. The workshop series aims for each student to know herself better and guide her individual growth efforts.

STUDENT GRADUATION

Mayra will graduate in April with a bachelor's in environmental engineering.  We are working with her to prepare for her graduation, plan for her job interviews, and finalize her short, medium, and long-term life plan to be a successful, financially independent, fulfilled, and happy professional woman.

CONGRATULATIONS MAYRA!

We thank you for your constant support through your donations. You are helping transform lives, giving education, and ending the cycle of poverty.

With gratitude,

Board of Directors

Gibson Soto Foundation.

Greetings from Mexico. It is our great pleasure and honor to present to you the annual report on the activities of the Gibson Soto Foundation during 2022.

Ac­cording to the OECD, Mexico is recovering from the pandemic that has had a profound economic and social impact. Even though women and young people have been espe­cially affected, which has aggravated pre-existing social challenges, thanks to the support of our donors, and volunteers, 2022 has been a year of great achievements for our beneficiaries and the Foundation.

In February, our beneficiaries returned to in-person classes at their universi­ties. This year, they demonstrated their strength and resilience by finishing again with excellent academic performance and full participation in our human development programs.

We are very proud that Alejandra has completed the Gibson Soto Founda­tion program and has shown us that our model is successful. Alejandra gra­duated as an Industrial Engineer from the Technological University of Queretaro in August and currently works as a Process Engineer with a salary that allows her to be financially independent and fulfill her dream of supporting her family.
This year our beneficiaries increased to eleven—two new grantees. Maria Jose and Dalia joined the Gibson Soto Foundation. Dalia showed us her enormous commitment to the program by finishing her first semester with perfect grades.

We are very proud and happy about the achievements of each of our benefi­ciaries, and we are deeply grateful to those who support us in making these achievements possible.

We attached below our FULL REPORT.

Gratefully,

The Board of Directors. Gibson Soto Foundation

• Read Full Report 2022 (PDF)
  

Wishing you all the Hope, Wonder, and Joy that the Season can bring!

To close the year, our beneficiaries organized a nice gathering.  They made Holiday cookies, decorated them, and made ornaments for the tree.  They also broke a piñata.
We are very proud of the enormous effort that everyone gave during 2022 to maintain a high academic level, improve their English language skills, and participate in the human development workshops that are part of our program.
This week they started a well-deserved holiday vacation.

With great joy, we share that our student Lupita is about to graduate.  In January, he will start the 10th semester of her Bachelor's degree in Music.
As part of her training, Lupita gives piano lessons to children at the Casa de la Cultura.  Yesterday was the recital of her students, and Lupita played several pieces of music for the families. CONGRATULATIONS LUPITA!

We thank you for supporting the Foundation and helping to transform the lives of more young women in poverty through education in 2022. 

Whatever is beautiful, whatever is meaningful, whatever brings you happiness…May it be in your heart this Holiday Season and throughout the coming year.

My name is Alejandra.  I am a young woman from the Indigenous Otomí community of Santiago Mexquititlán, Municipality of Amealco, Querétaro. Neither of my parents finished primary school.  My father passed away last year, and my mother is an artisan of the Otomí doll.  The average monthly income for my family is 200 dollars.

I am the first woman in my family to finish high school, and thanks to the generous donors that support the Gibson Soto Foundation, I am the first woman to graduate from university.

Before arriving at La Cima - the Gibson Soto Foundation's facility in Mexico -my life was complicated.  I lived alone, felt emotionally alone, and had financial problems.  I didn't have enough food, had very little money, and preferred to save the money for bus tickets to go to school than buy other things.  La Cima offered me the opportunity to have a roof over my head, three nutritious meals a day, a full college scholarship, economic support, emotional support, and social support.

Before La Cima IAP, I was already considering dropping out of college and returning to my hometown.  La Cima IAP helped me continue my studies and feel protected and supported.  At La Cima, they supported me in all aspects of my well-being; for example, during the pandemic, I felt their great support despite the distance; they gave me the tools I needed to grow, and the program helped me continue my dreams.

I thank La Cima for giving me all the necessary support to continue with my studies.  Above all, I appreciate the extracurricular courses and workshops they have given me to help me grow in different areas.  Participating in the human development workshops that La Cima offers has expanded my vision of myself and others; it has opened my mind to think about things I never asked myself before. 

Now, I direct my thoughts and actions to give my best, forgiving myself, forgiving others, loving myself, and loving others.  I do not question the behavior of others and do not judge their actions.  I can't always do it; when I don't, the simple fact of being aware that I am doing wrong with myself and with others makes me reflect again on how we all have a reason for being, a known and unknown past, things to heal, things to discover or learn, and that makes human diversity beautiful.  Participating in La Cima workshops has improved my relationships with others, especially with myself; I still have a lot to learn and practice, but I am totally willing to do so.  I want to be able to feel free.

Thanks to the support of La Cima IAP, I am fulfilling my greatest dream: I graduated as an Industrial Engineer this August.  This same month, I was hired as a Process Engineer in a company in Querétaro. Now I have enough income to support myself and my family.

 Thank you to all the generous hearts that have transformed my life

As part of the integral program of La Cima IAP, Alejandra developed a community project to improve the income and working conditions of Otomi artisans from communities in Amealco, Querétaro, offering training in management tools and standardization of doll production processes.

VIDEO of her community project.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNzyJtALg3A

Dear Donor,

Good morning! It is always a joy to be in contact with you.
This month we are especially happy to share accomplishments and news from our students.

ALE.  OUR FIRST STUDENT TO GRADUATE FROM COLLEGE.

We are proud that Ale has graduated as an Industrial Engineer this month.

Ale is a courageous, resilient, and very intelligent young woman.  She has successfully overcome academic challenges, cultural obstacles, and family losses during her studies.  Ale maintained a positive vision of her future and focused on the goal of finishing her degree and beginning her professional life.

Ale is proud to come from the indigenous Otomi tribe from the community of Santiago Mexquititlán, Amealco Querétaro, where her mother is an artisan of the traditional Otomí doll.

Testimonial: "I thank the Gibson Soto Foundation for all the support I needed to continue my studies.  I appreciate the extracurricular courses, English classes, and workshops they have given me to complete my education.  I am grateful for the emotional, economic, academic, and social support."

We congratulate Ale for achieving her degree with top honors and starting her first job officially as an Industrial Engineer!  All in the same week!

Thank you to everyone who has been part of Ale's life story and contributed to achieving her dreams.