Electricaid Project of the Month
Giving children a chance in Mexico City
Jardines de san juan Ajusco is a typical favela of Mexico City, peopled by unskilled and underprivileged migrants from other parts of Mexico. Conditions are grim and families live in home-made shanties of tin, wood and cardboard. There is no electricity, sanitation or refuse service.In November 2004, ElectricAid donated €5,585 through Aidlink to furnish and outfit a new kindergarten and women's and children's health centre. This completed the funding of a major project, which included the construction of the centre, the provision of daycare and medical support for 90 children, and a programme of practical training for women and young mothers in areas such as nutrition and health education.
Since the establishment of the centre, the health and nutritional state of the children and their wider families has improved greatly. The training of local women has been a major success, with two women of the favela now attending college for a certificate in pre-school education. The new centre opened its doors on December 17th 2005, and is making a big difference in the target community. Again, ElectricAid has been able to facilitate a major project of significant and long-term impact with well-targeted funding.
