The Pérez Brothers

The Pérez brothers — Jefferson, Joel and Roberto (names changed) — are 13, 11 and 9 years old, and they all have sponsor parents through CENIT's Adopt-a-Dream program. Scraping out enough of a living to feed and clothe the family in the country proved to be impossible. Therfore, the family of ten moved from the country to Quito two years ago in search of a better life and more opportunities for their children. As happens all too frequently, the reality of life in Quito was nearly as hard as the one they had left behind. Both parents and the older children spend long, hard days working in the Camal market and barely make enough to get by, much less to enrol the children in school. Through CENIT's market program in the Camal, our volunteers met the Pérez boys and got to know their family's situation. With their help, all of the school-age children were enrolled in CENIT's school. After proving to be exceptional students, the three oldest boys were enrolled in Adopt-a-Dream, matching them with sponsor parents who pay for all of their school costs, as well as a monthly food allowance for their family. Last year, Jefferson finished primary school in CENIT's ESTAR program and became the first-ever member of his family to enrol in high school. Joel and Roberto continue to be some of the best students in CENIT's primary school.

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Why We Need Donors

CENIT survives on donations and volunteer service. Our volunteers make up about half of our staff and are responsible for helping ensure the continued success of CENIT programs on every level. Our donors provide the fuel to keep our programs running. International donors provide funding for our psychologist, our twice-weekly clinic days, numerous school scholarships, our street outreach program and many other projects - and without them, these programs would not be able to continue.

CENIT receives some money from the Ecuadorian government through the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Social Wellbeing, and through INNFA, the National Institute for the Child and Family. Some funding also comes through international organizations, including Plan International. Additionally, CENIT relies on the economic contributions of ex-volunteers and ex-volunteer foundations.

We rely greatly on donations of independent donors, companies, and groups. Despite the generosity of our various funding sources, CENIT is always in need of donations. Because of extremely diverse needs, CENIT benefits from all financial donations. If you would like to donate to a specific CENIT cause, feel free to contact your local CENIT past-volunteer group, or contact CENIT directly.

In Germany/ Switzerland:
ViaNiños
info@vianinos.org

In the U.K.:
SONRISA (Formally TECCWE)
info@sonrisa.org.uk

Or Contact CENIT directly:
contact@cenitecuador.org
Subject: Fundraising