The girls at Buen Pastor go to a public school here in Guanajuato, in which a uniform is required. When they are wearing a uniform, they look like all the other kids. In a uniform no one can tell if your parents cannot afford to buy new clothing. They don’t know that you spend the rest of the day in ill-fitting hand-me-downs. However, at $26 per uniform, many parents cannot afford the uniforms, placing the burden of buying them on Buen Pastor. This project will provide each girl with a skirt, a blouse, a sweater, a polo shirt and a pair of shorts.
Profile
History
The nuns of Buen Pastor have run a foster home for girls for over a hundred years here in Guanajuato. The girls, who live at the convent during the week, come from broken homes and poverty. Many have been raised by single mothers. Others have experienced violence in their homes. To help these girls escape both violence and poverty, Buen Pastor ensures each girl receives an education. Buen Pastor provides them with a safe place to live, food, and an education. Since the families are unable to fully support their children, Buen Pastor pays for tuition fees and uniforms, among other things. The nuns who work here believe the most effective way of taking a girl away from violence is through education.
Impact
This project will provide uniforms for 21 primary school aged children. These uniforms are required in order to attend school. However, they are also instrumental in raising the girls’ self-esteems. In their uniforms they know they will appear like all the other children at the school. They know their clothes will fit and they will look presentable. Their uniforms will give them the confidence they need to succeed at school.
Team Credentials
Buen Pastor is run by 8 nuns and has been in existence since the early 1900’s. Since then, they have provided a safe haven for countless women and children. The internado where the girls reside is run by Madre Berta, with a great deal of help from Tere, the social worker, and Marcy, the psychologist. Madre Lourdes oversees the entire operation as the Mother Superior of the convent. Volunteers from a local high school help with homework. Foreigners donate their time in a variety of capacities including giving art workshops, helping with homework, reading stories, and giving acupuncture.
Updates
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06 NOV 2011
Pictures and News from Buen Pastor!
School is back in session at Buen Pastor and with it 11 new girls to the internado and 3 new art workshops. Estudio473 is heading a reading and response workshop for the preschool through kindergartners, a painting workshop for the 1st through 4th graders, and a drawing workshop for the oldest girls. Here are some photos of the youngest new additions to BP! Lupita is four and is in pre-K. She has two sisters at Buen Pastor. Camila is also four and in pre-K. Her sister is Frida, below. Frida is three and in preschool. Her sister is Camila, above. Last we have a picture of three new older girls, Vanesa, Rosita and Alondra helping Madre Bertita bake!
Donors
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Margaret United States
- $150 Pledged
- $150 Total Donated
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Isla Grant Wynnewood, PA, USA
- $50 Pledged
- $50 Total Donated
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Barbara Mathieson Ashland, OR, USA
- $100 Pledged
- $100 Total Donated
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Alif Khan Brooklyn, NY
- $50 Pledged
- $50 Total Donated
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webbchan HONGKONG
- $9100 Pledged
- $9100 Total Donated
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Daryl Caggiano Boston, MA, USA
- $200 Pledged
- $200 Total Donated
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Elke Krekels Leiden, Netherlands
- $5350 Pledged
- $5350 Total Donated
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Babette Cantrall
- $75 Pledged
- $75 Total Donated
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Eloy Graciano Ontario, California
- $10 Pledged
- $10 Total Donated
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CLee
- $950 Pledged
- $370 Total Donated