Andy is 9 years old, and is in fourth grade at the Manuel de Jesus Calle school. His favorite subject is math, and he loves his pets: he has a dog and a cat at home. He also enjoys dancing, and recently participated in a folkloric dance presentation at school. When he grows up Andy wants to be a fireman.

His parents sell fruit and vegetables in the nearby market Camal, and Andy helps them out on weekends. He doesn’t mind the work.

In this picture Andy is eating a special Christmas meal, and thanks to Brant’s generosity, Andy will eat healthy lunches at CENIT during the entire month of January, which will keep his mind sharp for math and dancing!

Nataly is 15 years old, and studies at CENIT’s Rosa Virginia High School, where she is in ninth grade.  She lives with her older sister – they both moved out because of an abusive home situation with her parents.  Nataly works on the weekends selling food near her home, which helps her earn just enough money to pay for school. Previously she had very poor grades, but has recently been working to bring them up.

Nataly needs a lot of love and support from her friends, and she feels a lot of support at CENIT.  Thanks to Alyson’s gift, Nataly will start off the new year with heatlhy warm lunches every day.

Nicole is 11 years old, and she studies at the José María Velasco Ibarra school. She really loves studying and hanging out with her classmates. She has been attending CENIT’s after school homework help sessions for the past three years, and really appreciates the support, which has allowed her to earn better grades.

Nicole lives with her mom and dad. Her dad is a street vendor, and her mom mostly works at home. Their income is very minimal, and often times basic needs go unmet.

In this photo Nicole is studying with the help of a CENIT volunteer, while a classmate hides from the camera. Thanks to Subash’s generosity Nicole will be able to keep attending the homework help sessions, which will help open the doors to more possibilities for her.

Javier is nine years old, and is in fourth grade at the Manuel de Jesus Calle school in Ecuador.

He enjoys studying and wants to be a doctor when he grows up.  His dad currently works as a security guard and earns about $240 a month; his mom does a bit of coooking here and there for a neighbor when she needs help, and earns $20 a week.   Since this work isn’t regular she often stays at home with Javier and his three younger brothers and sisters.

Javier is very grateful to be able to eat a warm lunch every day thanks to your generosity!

Jaqueline is 38 years old and lives in Quito, Ecuador. Ever since Jaqueline was a little girl, her dream was to be a school teacher. Jaqueline achieved her dream and now has 6 years experience working at CENIT. Jaqueline manages a classroom of 12 especially difficult children who have traumatic home situations and a rough history of street life. Many of her students can be quite aggressive, but Jaqueline treats them with a lot of patience and caring.

Jaqueline is teaching her students about appropriate behavioral skills, as well as qualities such as responsibility and respect. Many of her students are expressing desires to keep studying so that they will be able to better care for themselves and their families in the future!

Thanks to Rob, Miller, and Marshall, Jaqueline’s salary is covered for the next month!

Jefferson, who is nine  years old, moved to Quito six years ago with his parents from the poor, mountainous region of Cotopaxi. He studies at the Fifth of Junio School, and his favorite subject is math.

His dad works in construction, and his mom sells candy on local buses; on the weekends Jefferson helps his mom by getting on and off of busses and helping her sell. Between his two parents their earnings are very minimal, and food at home is often scarce.

Jeffreson’s favorite meal is rice, beans, and chicken, and he’s very grateful to have a warm and healthy lunch at CENIT every day.

We appreciate the generosity of the donor who is providing a month of lunches for this future mathematician!

Karina is 11 years old, and is in fifth grade at the Otto Arosemena Gomez school.

Karina goes to classes in the morning, and afterwards goes to the market where her mom works to help her sell vegetables. After working in the market for a few hours, Karina goes to CENIT’s after school homework help program (CEA), to complete her assignments.

When she finishes school, her goal is to go to Gonzalo Escudero High School, where her older sister Estefannia studies. Karina’s family is very close, and she feels a lot of love and respect from them.

Thanks to Ray and Lael’s generous donation of academic support and homework help sessions, Karina’s goal of attending high school will hopefully become a reality.

Irene has spent the past 3 years working at CENIT, where she enjoys sharing her knowledge with her students.  She works with a group of children 10 to 13 years old who come from difficult home situations; most suffer from at least some level of neglect from their parents.

Because of this neglect they can often be aggressive, but Irene’s love and patience has allowed them to feel more motivated and confident in the classroom.

Irene also works to educate the parents to avoid and lessen the symptoms of neglect.

Thanks to the  generosity of Anil, Adam, Kandace (3 days!), Michella and Joseph (24 days!), CENIT has the funds to pay Irene for another month of her important work.  Thank you all for your support!

María is 13 years old, and is a bright student in CENIT’s school “ESTAR.”

This year she moved to Quito to live with her grandparents and her father, who works installing glass when there’s demand, which isn’t often enough. María Belen used to live with her mom on the coast (her parents are separated), but a complicated home situation meant she wasn’t doing very well in school. She is happy to be living with her grandparents, and feels very welcome in their home.

María Belén was recently diagnosed with anemia, making the healthy lunches that George donated even more important.