Education unlocks a better life!

Community education gives women an opportunity to learn new skills.

Augmenting opportunity for education

For many poor families in Mexico, fees charged by public schools are more than they can pay. Schools allow the children to come to school but, without the fees, the schools have little money to buy the supplies and equipment they need for teaching. The libraries have few materials and their computers are outdated. Border Partners works with the three elementary schools and the middle school in Palomas to find donated materials they need to augment their meager supplies. In Fall 2011, we are upgrading some of their computers to 512K and providing them with paper and art supplies.

Palomas elementary school

We also provide dried beans each month to supplement the food allotment the local schools receive from the government for school lunches. One school will also receive a solar cooker. We hope to have the money soon to build school gardens at each elementary school. A single donation of $150 can build one school garden.

Supporting library services

Lead librarian orients students in the modest, but serviceable, Palomas public library.

Palomas also has a public library that serves many and is supported by the state government. The library’s internet connection is one of the few in town. High school students rely on the library’s ten computers–seven of which are connected to the internet–because the high school can’t access the internet. Border Partners is upgrading the library’s computers and donating books to their collection.

Providing adult education opportunities for the community

Many adults in the community have not finished high school and are eager for an opportunity to learn in a supportive environment. They want to gain skills to start a business, acquire English or improve the health of themselves and their loved ones. But there are no adult education programs or community colleges in Palomas. We’d like to build a classroom addition to the library where we can offer community education classes. Securing funding for this project is another priority.