Mission Santa Maria Inc

TO HELP AND SUPPORT THE YOUTH OF ECUADOR.

UNIVERSITY PROGRAM: MISSION SANTA MARIA PROVIDES SCHOLARSHIPS FOR EXCEPTIONAL STUDENTS TO ACHIEVE A HIGHER LEVEL OF EDUCATION IN UNIVERSITY. ALTHOUGH THERE IS NO TUITION FOR PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN ECUADOR, SUPPLEMENTAL COSTS SUCH AS FOR BOOKS AND SUPPLIES, AS WELL AS FOR HOUSING AND FOOD, OFTEN PROHIBIT YOUNG ADULTS FROM ATTENDING UNIVERSITY. SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM:SANTA MARIA DEL FIAT IS A PRESCHOOL THROUGH SECONDARY SCHOOL, REFERRED TO HEREAFTER AS THE MISSION SCHOOL, THAT HAS BEEN PROVIDING HIGH QUALITY EDUCATION TO CHILDREN OF THE SURROUNDING AREA FOR 26 YEARS. IT IS ONE OF THE BEST SCHOOL IN SANTA ELENA PROVINCE, WITH OVER 1,200 STUDENTS. SOME CHILDREN TRAVEL 90 MINUTES ONE-WAY BY BUS TO ATTEND THIS SCHOOL. MISSION SANTA MARIA HAS BEEN SUPPORTING THE MISSION SCHOOL FOR OVER 11 YEARS THROUGH A SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. IN 2020, 180 STUDENTS RECEIVED FULL SCHOLARSHIPS THROUGH MISSION SANTA MARIA. IN ADDITION, MISSION SANTA MARIAN PROVIDED 369 PARTIAL SCHOLARSHIPS TO CHILDREN WHO FAMILIES WERE ECONOMICALLY IMPACTED BY THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC. MANY OF THESE CHILDREN WOULD SIMPLY NOT ATTEND SCHOOL IF IT WERE NOT FOR OUR SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. THE MISSION SCHOOL HAS A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE GOVERNMENT WHEREBY THE GOVERNMENT PAYS MOST OF THEIR TEACHERS, BUT ALSO MANDATES THE COST OF TUITION, TOTAL STAFF ESPERANZA HOME FOR CHILDREN:THE ESPERANZA HOME FOR CHILDREN IS HOME TO 75-90 CHILDREN RANGING IN AGE FROM 1-18 YEARS OLD. ALL OF THE CHILDREN ARRIVE AT THE HOME BY JUDGE ORDER DUE TO NEGLECT OR ABUSE. THE CHILDREN ARE CARED FOR BY A GROUP OF WOMEN THAT HAVE DEDICATED THEIR LIVES TO CREATING A SAFE AND LOVING ENVIRONMENT FOR THESE CHILDREN. THE CHILDREN ARE PROVIDED DAILY MEALS, CLOTHING, MEDICAL ATTENTION, ENROLLMENT IN SCHOOL, AND ON-SITE PSYCHOLOGICAL ATTENTION. FOR THE PAST 14 YEARS, MISSION SANTA MARIA HAS BEEN SUPPORTING THE EDUCATIONAL NEEDS OF THESE CHILDREN AS WELL AS VARIOUS INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS. BOYS PROGRAM:OUR BOYS PROGRAM PROVIDES BOYS FROM THE POOREST FAMILIES IN OUR AREA WITH HOUSING, MEALS, SCHOOL SUPPLIES, UNIFORMS, AND TRANSPORTATION TO SCHOOL. THESE BOYS COME FROM PLACES SO INTERIOR OR FROM FAMILIES THAT ARE SO RESOURCE LIMITED, THAT WITHOUT HOUSING AND SHELTER DURING THE WEEK, THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ATTEND SCHOOL. IN 2020, 10 BOYS BENEFITED FROM THIS PROGRAM UNTIL IT WAS PLACED ON HOLD IN MARCH 2020 DUE TO COUNTRY_WIDE LOCKDOWN. THROUGH OUR BOYS PROGRAM, IN 2020 WE IDENTIFIED OTHER RESOURCE LIMITED FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN ALREADY ON OUR SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM AT THE MISSION SCHOOL THAT NEEDED ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. IN 2020, WE SUPPORTED 40 OF THESE CHILDREN WITH UNIFORMS, BOOKS, AND SCHOOL SUPPLIES.