Help marginalized Mexican children and teenagers

Why your support for children who want to continue their education is crucial!

Hi! We are bringing you exciting news!

Today, we will present some of the big advances that we have made in Mexico’s region of Torreon, Coahuila. First, it is crucial to understand the current social state of Mexico, particularly the northern regions of the country. There have been several problems regarding violence, gangs, drug cartels and “sicarios” (hired assassins), affecting the overall security of Mexico. Some of the region´s children have become orphans due to violence. Although not all children fall victim to this unfortunate situation, most of them have directly or indirectly been dragged into the violence of the region. For example, becoming a hitman or “sicario” is a cultural aspiration for much of the youth. This title holds the characteristics of being powerful and invincible, being the protector of their own family, and being respected and admired by others in the community. This stereotype has drastically impaired the social functioning of communities. At Yo Quiero Yo Puedo (I want, I can... IMIFAP), we feel that the lack of education in many northern regions of Mexico is greatly responsible for this interminable circle of constant violence.

Not everything is lost! You are helping these children, against all odds, to have real opportunities; and we are seeing results! With a strong enforcement on education and better livelihood, our program is finally helping the community of Torreon, Coahuila.

Last year, we reached our goal of engaging 891 students into our program.  Today we are reaching 995 students, 31 teachers, and 650 parents directly. At the end of the year we will reach a total of 1676 direct beneficiaries and 5028 indirect beneficiaries. (Remember that this is only in Torreón, Coahuila).

This is all thanks to your support!

We are working with other donors (foundations, enterprises, etc…) to achieve our goals. So why is your individual funding so important? As for everything in life, resources are restricted. Your funding has helped us to expand those boundaries and reach more people to participate in our program. Every extra child, teacher and parent is because of your support! And every extra child, teacher and parent is worth the effort. We need you! There are still more children that we can reach.  We (together you and our foundation) will support them to continue their studies and improve their quality of life. 

To conclude we proudly present to you two inspiring testimonies showing our progress:

“[Some students] are acknowledging their mistakes… they say, ‘yes, I did that’… they try to recognize and rectify their mistakes. [The program] is something that has worked a lot for me, in my personal and professional life.” -A teacher replicating the program with their students.

“It is so exciting, the [positive school] environment that the program has generated, because I have learned to create a good and fun climate in the classroom. It was very motivating to me, because I went motivated to the school and [the students] felt how I was feeling… I based [my class] in motivational way with fun things; fun, but with learning. Through new group dynamics and games, we created an experienced-based climate. I am very motivated to work with them (the students).” -Another teacher replicating the program with their students.

Thank you for your continuous support and making a difference for the lives of so many underprivileged Mexican children, teachers, and parents! You can further help by sharing these stories with your networks!  

Until the next time (to present more successful reports)!

PS. We share with you some pictures of our work with teachers during workshops (soon more children photos).

Hi!

We hope you had a great start to 2015. We began this year in Coahuila with lots of excitement and a variety of activities.

During January we adapted and handed over new didactic material to teachers and students; we also held a workshop with key education authorities in Coahuila state (the Director of Educational Innovation and Quality of the state, primary principals, area supervisors and pedagogical technical advisors) to sensitize them about the "Yo quiero, Yo puedo" program (Education and Gender Program in Primary Schools in Torreon).

Additionally, we held an extra 10 hour workshop for some teachers that could not attend to all the workshop sessions for them to be fully prepared for replicating the program with their students.

We are very excited because of the activities we have planned for the next months!

In March we will make 54 accompaniment visits to the teachers: we will guide them and give them feedback for an optimal application of the program with their students. We will also organize 17 workshops for parents so they can know more about our program and how they can implement it at home.

After March we plan to make a second accompaniment visit to the teachers and 2 educational fairs for students, parents and community members to have access to the information we develop in the program. Community integration is a key factor and teachers have noticed positive changes in this área. For example:

"This program has proven very useful for me: I have learnt to communicate better with the parents of my students; before, I was always arguing with them and now we don’t. I also achieved a better understanding of the teaching needs of my students." a teacher

We also want to give a book supply to all participant school libraries to promote interest in reading!

This, of course, could not be possible without the support of the Caterpillar Foundation and each one of your donations. We invite you to continue supporting all these children; please share our results: with your help, this program can have major impact and change the lives of marginalized Mexican children in Coahuila.

Thank you for continuing to support this great effort!