Empowering underserved children to achieve their full potential

MORE INSIGHT INTO THE PROBLEM

Orphans face many barriers to accessing a good education, which inhibits them from exiting poverty. Many of the children do not attend school because they do not have transportation and lack the resources, such as school supplies. Many orphanages do not prioritize education because they barely have enough funding to fulfill the basic needs of the children.

For the orphans that have the opportunity to go to school, many do not receive a good education because the educational system in Mexico adversely affects poorer children. Studies show that Mexico ranks last in education among the 35 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries and people in Mexico read less than three books a year on average, due to low education levels and poverty.

One reason for the broken education system is the lack of quality teachers. Over 60% of schools report that teachers are frequently absent, so the children are left with no guidance. Additionally, many teachers are unqualified to teach because teaching positions can be purchased in Mexico and teachers could pass their jobs down to their children. As a result, the dropout rate is high in Mexico.

Another reason for the broken education system is many public schools lack sufficient resources. In 2017, the education budget was cut by more than 11 percent, the textbook budget was cut by a third, and teacher training programs were cut by 40 percent. Many public schools in Mexico do not have enough textbooks, so kids must share the textbooks. Schools often receive donated books that are not appropriate for the kids because they are too difficult for the children or contain many mistakes.

Without access to a good education, many orphans in Mexico are stuck in an endless cycle of poverty because they cannot find good jobs when they enter the workforce.

By providing essential resources and working with partner organizations to carry out reading programs in Mexico to teach orphans English, Books for Prosperity is helping to empower the kids to reach their full potential and prosper.