LET'S BUILD THE FUTURE TOGETHER

Hi there,

I wanted to personally thank you for supporting our Let’s Build the Future Together project. Because of your generosity, Hogar de Cristo has joined forces with Fundación Educacional Oportunidad to tackle early childhood absenteeism in Chile.

This new collaboration now reaches 35 early childhood centers, supporting over 2,500 children in 28 communities across 12 regions. It's a big step toward ensuring more kids can access quality education consistently, right from the start.

Our teams—regional coordinators, center directors, and educators—are receiving the tools and training they need to strengthen school communities and encourage regular attendance.

As our Executive Director, Juan Cristóbal Romero, shared:

"Learning doesn’t begin without attendance. This partnership is helping us rebuild educational paths that were disrupted, especially after the pandemic."

Thanks to you, more children are being given the opportunity to grow, learn, and thrive.

With heartfelt gratitude,
Hogar de Cristo

We accompanied Gloria's two-year-old grandson, son of Juan Carlos and Constanza, on his graduation day. The couple lives together in Gloria's home, where she has long been the guardian of the Monseñor Santiago Tapia Nursery in La Pintana. Her two youngest children attended school there, and most of her 14 grandchildren have attended.

Gloria is grateful for this facility and its educational team. They have been a crucial contribution to her ability to get ahead, as a single head of household and mother of four children.

Hers is a harsh poverty, both in terms of income and multidimensionality, although there is one of those dimensions she does not compromise on: education. She is one of those who still believes that studying is a path to social advancement and mobility.

She and this belief seem increasingly exceptional in light of post-pandemic figures. Today, less than half of children under six in Chile attend an educational institution. Preschool enrollment has dropped significantly. The most serious aspect is that, according to the CASEN survey, 61% of children between two and four years old who do not attend preschool belong to the first or second most vulnerable quintile.

Today, more than ever, we need to continue promoting early childhood education as a fundamental first step toward equalizing opportunities. Early childhood education is truly higher education.

Thank you for contributing to this tremendous cause.

Links:

• Opinion column by Claudia Fasani.