|
The Santiago Foundation is a nonprofit community organization that supports two small villages, Francisco Villa and El Naranjo, located outside Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico. The Santiago Foundation was founded in 1983. It supports both training and education to orphaned and abandoned children, and adults seeking skills to improve employability through their community centers.
In these villages, education is free and available for primary grades one through six. The children's guardians are responsible to pay for the student's uniform, books, school supplies, and transportation to the school. The Foundation has found that in order for the children and adults to succeed, they need further education beyond primary education. The Foundation's community centers provide both primary and secondary education, along with scholarships for students that are wanting to attend university and technical schools but can not afford it.
The Foundation has been able to helped dozens of young people to complete high school, technical school, and university. These students have returned to their homes to provide healthcare, education, accounting and other skills to their communities. Manzanillo is the largest port on the west coast of Mexico, and through the support of the Foundation, several students were able to obtain well-paid technical positions at the port. As many as 600 students, both young and adults, may be served by the various programs in a typical year.
Skill development is equally important to the communities. Carpentry, cosmetology, masonry, hairdressing and cooking are taught at the community centers. Cultural skills, including guitar, painting, folkloric dancing, jewelry making, sewing skills, clothing design, embroidery, crocheting, and knitting. Learning these skills helps supplement their income and qualify for jobs in the wider community.
Along with providing social and educational support for the community's children and adults, the Foundation financially supports two buildings, building maintenance, 14 teachers, one coordinator and one director. They do have volunteers that teach many programs.
Anchorage East Rotary would like to support this International Project by providing the Santiago Foundation with a $4,000 donation. This donation amount includes $2,000 from Anchorage East Rotary and the other $2,000 would come from a matching district grant.
|
