El Puente de Esperanza I.A.P. - Mexico

Program Image

Program

  • Type of Program: Kindergarten, Preschool, Primary School
  • Age Served: 1 to 12 years
  • Funding Sources: Foundations and private donations
  • Presenter: Conchita Walker and Sr Mary Ranek (Founder and PHJC)
  • Address: Ocampo 2B sur, col. Centro
    Queretaro, 76000, Qro, Mexico
  • Telephone: (442) 2124272
  • Fax: (442) 2125563
  • Email: [email protected]

Program Purpose

El Puente de Esperanza I.A.P. addresses the education, moral, spiritual, love and basic needs of young students of rural areas, and indigenous women with their children, to raise their self esteem and economic level with the objective of forming conscious and responsible persons with their own community and society.

Program Description

It is a Mexican non profit organization legally established in May 1995. It was founded by Conchita Walker a American-Latin bicultural woman with a tremendous impulse of lovingly helping the poor. Two programs were formed:

  1. Posada de Maria y Jose Program helps indigenous (Otomi) and rural young students from Queretaro state who don't have the means to continue their studies. In Queretaro there are no public schools that offer room and board facilities, and it is not feasible for a poor family to pay for all the educational expenses. Most young men and women need to work to contribute to their family income. Therefore, we address their academic, economic, spiritual, cultural, social, recreational needs in order to collaborate in their personal development to improve their quality of life.
  2. Las Marias de Santa Clara Program is housed in El Puente de Esperanza offering indigenous Otomi women an opportunity to have their educational, health, spiritual and emotional needs addressed. They learn a variety of skills including machine and hand sewing, cooking, reading, writing, nutrition, hygiene, budgeting, communication and problem solving. Their growth in self-confidence is obvious as they complete this program and prepare to return to their community of San Ildefonso, Tultepec, Amealco. The children who reside at El Puente with their mothers are provided care while the mothers are working or are in classes. The children's program is staffed entirely by volunteers.
  3. The Community Program helps women and children as they prepare to leave the in-house programs of El Puente, and return to their homes in San Ildefonso. In their personal sewing rooms provided by El Puente, the women, mostly mothers raising children alone, earn a living by making the patchwork and quilted products that they learned in Querétaro. They further the goals of the in-house program by the practical application of all they have learned. The children also continue to receive educational support and training in life skills.

Most Unique Program Feature

In Las Marias de Santa Clara and Community Programs, women realize they are capable of producing good quality products. Working together for their community is possible We have helped the women to express their emotions freely. They are learning they have the right to cry if they need to. Expressing what they need or want to achieve is an important task. They are learning parenting skills while they are engaged in childcare activities, reducing intra family violence.

In a tri-culture environment, Otomi, Mexican and American, caring for each other, we search to provide the special help that each child needs, physically and emotionally. Academic levels in indigenous communities are far below academic levels in urban schools. A remedial education program for primary level students works to strengthen their skills in math and language. Interest for books and reading is emphasized. When they go back to their community they will continue to receive academic support. They go back knowing they can do many things witch will broaden their dreams to be fulfilled.

A three-week summer course at their community in San Ildefonso, Tultepec is offered every year. 150 children register for the course. Sewing, carpentry, math and language skills lessons are taught, and moral values are promoted.

Edited by Michael Kalinowski