Nicole is a 12 year-old third-grader who wants to be a seamstress when she grows up.

She used to attend the Jose Peralta School, but often missed classes because it was so far from her home an so she fell behind in her studies.

Now she attends CENIT’s elementary school, ESTAR, which is a unique opportunity because it accepts students of all ages and helps them catch up in school. Now her attendance has become more regular. She will be able to learn the basics, so she can rejoin her peers in higher grades.

Nicole lives with her mom, dad and seven siblings. Her mom is a maid in a private home and her dad is a cook in a restaurant – they both earn a minimum wage of $320 a month (before taxes).

Lunch at CENIT is often Nicole’s best meal of the day, since there are so many mouths to feed at home.  Thanks to you Aaron, Nicole will get a hot meal for the entire month, thank you!

Tifanny is a 7-year-old second-grader at the Jorge Escudero Moscoso School in Quito, Ecuador.

She has a slight cleft palate, but she doesn’t let it get in the way of her hopes, dreams, and studies. She also helps out a lot around the house.

She lives with her mother, father and older brother. Her dad works at a Kimberly Clark factory in the south of Quito, where he earns the national minimum wage of $320 a month before taxes.  Her mom sells fruits and vegetables in Camal, a large open air market.  All their income goes towards family expenses.

Thanks to your generosity, Charlotte, she will enjoy a month of warm, nutritious lunches at CENIT, where she eats between school and homework help sessions.  Thank you!

Tatiana is 9 years old and studies at the “Manuel de Jesus Calle” school in the south of Quito.  She is in the fifth grade, and lives with her parents and brothers and sisters.  Her parents sell blenders and blender replacement parts in the Camal Market, which is a large outdoor market near CENIT.  She and her siblings have suffered abuse at home, but the family is currently receiving support from CENIT’s psychologist.

Tatiana struggles to do the best she can at school, and despite a really tough home situation is doing her best to be successful.   Thanks your generosity Lesley, she’ll have one less thing to worry about this month – knowing that she can count on a healthy and filling lunch every day at CENIT after school.

Silviana is 10 years old, and she is in 7th grade at the “Manuel de Jesus Calle” school in the south part of Quito which is one of the poorest parts of the city.  Her mom sells socks and underwear in nearby Camal market, while her dad is a maintenance man who cleans and sweeps the market every day.  Together they piece together the equivalent of a minimum wage salary  of about $320 a month.

Silvia helps at her mom’s stand on the weekends, and dreams of being a beautician when she grows up.  After school she attends CENIT for lunch and homework help.  Thanks to your generosity Mark and Lisbet, she is assured a month of healthy lunches at CENIT.

Carlos is a seventh grader at the “Manuel de Jesus Calle”  School in the south of Quito.  He is 11 years old, and loves to play soccer.  In fact, he dreams about being a professional soccer player when he grows up.

Carlos lives with his mom and dad and four siblings and he is the second youngest.  His mom works in a fast food restaurant, and his dad is a construction worker.  They both bring home about $200 a month.  Even though making ends meet is tough, all five children are in school.  Carlos’ parents are extremely proud since many low income families don’t have the necessary funds to pay for school enrollment fees.

Knowing that he can eat a healthy and filling lunch every day at CENIT is a big relief for Carlos, who says he likes that he can have second helpings of rice if there is any left over.  Thanks to Luke and Ani, hopefully there will be more days of leftover rice, and certainly a big lunch for Carlos each day this month!

Elena is 9 years old, and attends the Republic of Argentina School located south of Quito, where she is in third grade. Her mother immigrated to Spain eight and a half years ago, and Elena lives with her grandmother. Her mother visited Quito last Christmas, but it was very hard for Elena because they hadn’t met, and the separation was very difficult when her mom returned to Spain. Elena is currently working with a therapist at CENIT to deal with this issue.

Her dad is a construction worker in Esmeraldas, which is about 5 hours away on the coast.  Luckily, her grandmother is very caring, and provides Elena with a lot of love.

Thanks to Marc’s generosity, Elena will be able to benefit from a month of filling, healthy lunches at CENIT.

Pamela is 14 years old, and is in third grade at CENIT’s elementary school.  CENIT’s elementary school often works with children who for various reasons are not on a regular school schedule: so although Pamela is older than most third graders and would be unable to study at other schools, she is able to study at CENIT’s school.

Pamela lives with her parents and six siblings: she’s the third from the youngest.  Her mother isn’t currently working because of having very young children at home.  Her father is an auto mechanic.

Pamela is very happy to be in school at CENIT, and someday she would like to study gastronomy, or design and sewing.  Despite not having much money, her family is very happy together – certainly CENIT’s healthy lunch is a big help for the family.

Victor Molina is 11 years old, and is a third grader at CENIT’s elementary school.  He is originally from Ventanas, in the coastal Los Rios province of Ecuador, but  his father brought him to Quito to live with his paternal grandmother and cousins. His grandmother sells popsicles (Bon Ice) in the streets, and her minimal income has to stretch to feed five grandchildren, and herself.

Victor was an aggressive and rebellious child, but his behavior has been improving with his grandmother’s love and patience, and the help and support of CENIT’s psychologist.

Victor would like to study to become a repairman for small home appliances, like his cousin does.  He is thankful to have a warm a filling lunch at CENIT: his biggest meal most days.

Mariana has been a teacher at CENIT’s Rosa VirginiaVocational School in Quito, Ecuador  for the past six and a half years. The girls enrolled in Rosa Virginia (RV)  learn, among other subjects, the practical skills related to sewing and design. This professional path provides many of them with the possibility of work upon graduation, which is really important for their low-income families, and a big selling point in convincing them to study.

Part of their final exam is a fashion show where the girls show their parents, teachers, and fellow students the skills they have learned throughout the year.  This is a big event, as many of the girls are very shy, and don’t have any experience speaking or presenting in public. The fashion show provides them a very real opportunity to do so, and gives them confidence to know that they can present their work: a skill which serves them well when entering the workforce.

Mariana is shown here in CENIT’s playground with her students before the talent show. Thanks to your combined generosity, Mariana will continue to be an inspiration to her students at CENIT.

Isabel is one of the youngest members of CENIT’s after school homework help sessions.  She started going because two of her older brothers and sisters attend, and she tagged along.  CENIT’s caring volunteers work with Isabel to make sure that she is challenged with activities and exercises, which help her to be one of the brightest in her class.

Isabel lives with her Mom; her dad lives on the coast where he is trying to find work.  Her mom works long hours as a maid, a job which pays her just over $10 a day. Attending CENIT’s homework help sessions are a big help because Isabel isn’t alone in the afternoon, she is kept busy with productive activities, and enjoys a healthy snack each day. She also learns to socialize with other kids.  Thanks to Kandace’s generosity for making this all possible!