Truth With a Camera Workshop Blog » NGO and Nonprofit spotlight

Quito NGO Spotlight: Fundacion Integrar

dave — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 00:11:01 +0000

Mateo Solis,7, giggles as his mother, Liliona, nuzzles him on Wed. Jan. 13th, 2010 at their home in the suburbs of Quito, Ecuador. (Uday Khambadkone)

Fundacion Integrar began as a group of professionals seeking educational and therapeutic techniques to enhance the development of people with cognitive disabilities and autism. Integrar evolved into a social development organization that actively participates in the formulation of public policies that guarantee the rights of a vulnerable population, in developing plans for the equalization of opportunities and social inclusion of persons with disabilities.

Their mission is to provide comprehensive care for children and youth in their cognitive development with a focus on “Gentle Teaching.”

Truth students Anja Lehmann, a freelance photographer from Berlin, and Dallas freelancer Uday Khambadkone have been documenting the efforts of Foundacion Integrar and its clients for the Quito workshop.

Stray dogs sneak up on a client of Fundacion Integrar as she eats her snack. (Anja Lehmann)

Quito NGO Spotlight: Centro del Muchacho Trabajador

dave — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 15:53:26 +0000

Bairo Truillo, age 9, dips water out to serve in the cafeteria during lunchtime. (Britney McIntosh)

Centro del Muchacho Trabajador or Working Boy’s Center began out of an attic next to the bell tower stairs of the Jesuit Church of the Compania. In the beginning, the organization worked with 200 shoeshine boys who worked in the historic central city of Quito. The Center provided the boys with meals, medical attention and basic education.

The organization’s motto is “To contribute to the prosperity of the working boys and their families is to contribute to the present and future welfare of the community.”

They do this by stressing 10 characteristics to creating positive change: Loyalty, personal formation, family, religion, education, economy, work, recreation, health and housing.

Truth students Britney McIntosh and Jessica Marcy have been assigned to document the work of Centro del Muchacho Trabajador.

Britney is focusing on the issue of children who must not only work to survive in Quito, but who must also work towards providing a better future for themselves. She is looking to answer the question of what happens to childhood amidst all of this labor.

Jessica’s work will focus on the lives of a family with 11 children. The mother works at Centro del Muchacho Trabajador from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. everday, while many of her children are cared for and educated by the NGO.

To learn more about Centro del Muchacho Trabajador, please visit http://www.centromuchachotrabajador.org/ or in English at http://www.workingboyscenter.org/

Jose Luis Bone, 1, is fed by his older sister at Centro del Muchacho Trabajador. (Jessica Marcy)

NGO Spotlight: Mi Gran Esperanza

admin — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 19:21:49 +0000

Located in Guadalajara, Mi Gran Eseranza provides a home for children facing life-threatening diseases as well as their families. They also provide food, medicine, counseling and many other services. You can learn more about the great work being done by this NGO by following this link to their site.

[View with PicLens]

NGO Spotlight: IMDEC

admin — Thu, 28 May 2009 22:43:33 +0000

With 45 years of experience with community organizing around issues of sustainable development, justice and equality, The Mexican Institute for Community Development is one of the oldest NGOs in Mexico. Founded upon democratic ideals, the people at IMDEC believe in fostering local mobilization and participation to create stronger and healthier communities.

In addition to their support of community groups, IMDEC works to help promote greater public and governmental awareness of numerous interrelated health and environmental issues.

Currently, they are active in several communities around Guadalajara, as well as several more rural areas. As Guadalajara has expanded, the growth of population within the outer zones of the city has outpaced the reach of facilities that deliver clean water. Contaminants in the water make their way into the air and land. Consequently, many who live in these communities are at a higher risk of developing cancer, tuberculosis, and a plethora of skin and respiratory diseases.

NGO Spotlight: CODENI

admin — Tue, 26 May 2009 16:30:14 +0000

CODENI A.C. is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the rights of Jalisco’s most vulnerable and marginalized children. Through professional and community based initiatives, they work to improve the quality of life of at-risk children and thereby ensure that they have the opportunity for a brighter future.

At present, they provide direct services to more than 100 children and adolescents who rely on the streets of Guadalajara’s historic downtown district for survival. Of the more than 50 families in the program, the majority belong to Mexico’s indigenous population, and all labor in the informal sector.

They provide three primary areas of service: education, street outreach, and a comprehensive social work program. They are conducting research projects examining the social, economic, and educational realities of at-risk children in Jalisco.