From vulnerable towns to University

The Peraj Mexico Program in the Miguel Hidalgo municipality, Mexico City, has supported boys and girls in fifth and sixth grade in public primary schools. Through hybrid mentoring sessions (virtual and in-person), held twice a week, the program aims to foster a commitment to education and improve academic performance.

As part of the activities carried out, the following can be mentioned:

• "Breaking Virtuality": the first in-person meeting between pairs (children and mentors) aimed to strengthen friendship bonds and significantly increase trust between them.

• National Peraj Day: an activity held at Ciudad Universitaria (UNAM) in collaboration with other participating universities in Mexico City. This day is of great importance as it is simultaneously celebrated in other states of the Mexican Republic. Experiences are shared, friendships are formed, and the pairs develop their skills and abilities.

• Cybersecurity Talk for Parents: aimed to raise awareness among parents about the fragility of using digital media. Prevention strategies for cyber misuse were provided, as well as information about locks and special applications appropriate for the age of the children.

• Children's Day: a celebration with activities that strengthened teamwork, communication, leadership, integration, and connection.

The closing event took place on July 8th with an activity held at the Faro Salesiano. A total of 51 pairs (mentors, children) participated, with the involvement of 3 universities and 3 primary schools.

We would like to share the following testimonial:

Meredith Avalos, Mentor of the Peraj program

"My name is Meredith Avalos, and I am 29 years old. I studied Restaurant Management at Universidad Anáhuac Norte.

When I started looking for a place to do my social service, none caught my attention until I found Peraj Mexico. They explained that I would be providing mentoring to a child.

At first, I was intimidated by the idea of what I could contribute to a child and how I would form a relationship with them. However, little by little, I discovered that my friend was a kind, fun-loving child with varied interests and always open to learning new things.

I am grateful to Peraj for the opportunity to have this experience."