Centro Esperanza Infantil
A Center of Hope for the Children of Oaxaca
Oaxaca Streetchildren Grassroots financially supports the operation of Centro de Esperanza Infantil, a registered non-profit (Asociación Civil, A.C.) in Oaxaca.
From its location in downtown Oaxaca, the staff of Centro de Esperanza Infantil coordinates sponsorship of the education of nearly 700 children and young people, ranging from first graders to university students. It is a complicated process, requiring frequent communication between the Center, the schools and the families. The Center visits each family upon enrollment to determine its level of need.
The Center’s staff arranges for tuition payments to each of the children’s schools, provides them with vouchers to buy uniforms, distributes shoes and kick starts their studies with a supply of school materials.
The Center also provides a hot, weekday lunch to children who live nearby, has a supervised computer room children use for homework and a well-stocked library. In addition, with the help of numerous volunteers, both local and visiting from other countries, the center offers after-school and weekend tutoring in a variety of subjects.