Fundación de Asistencia Social
Madre Rosalía Cadron (FASMRC)
The daycare
Founded in July 1999 in Pascuales, the “Centro de Desarrollo Infantil El Mundo Mágico de los Niños” daycare centre welcomes 40 children aged 2 to 5 years from poor families every year, whose mothers, mostly single parents, work in precarious jobs or wish to pursue training in order to enter the labour market. The daycare center has been recognized as a quality educational center by the Ecuadorian community and government.
Educational activities are offered by early childhood professionals, and the dedicated staff, made up entirely of Ecuadorians, is particularly appreciated by mothers. In addition to educational and recreational activities, children receive daily hygiene care (bathing, brushing teeth, etc.), two snacks and a full meal each day, in accordance with a menu adapted to their energy needs and development. They are also subject to regular health assessments and receive appropriate medical care from the staff of a private clinic.
Dental care is also available through regular visits from a dentist.
The Women’s Centre
The Women’s Centre was established in early 2000. It offers a wide range of hands-on classes such as sewing, cooking, beauty, decorating, and macramé. These courses not only develop professional skills, but also self-esteem. In addition to the technical aspect, these courses also include an economic component through business advice. Women can also organize the sale of the objects they make.
The Centre de Mujeres has become a small family for many women in Pascuales, where they find a social network to break the isolation and perfect their socialisation. Informal discussions also allow for the exchange of advice on various aspects of life, including parenting skills and helping others. Since its creation, more than 4,000 registrations have been recorded for the various training courses offered.
The center is run by highly qualified Ecuadorian teachers who have a thorough command of the techniques and knowledge they teach. They often become counsellors and friends for their students, who appreciate them very much.
Sponsorship Program
The sponsorship program of the FEÉ and its team of Pascuales has been developed with the aim of maintaining a close link between the sponsors and the beneficiary children, while closely monitoring their educational career. Each year, the Foundation undertakes to provide the sponsors with the sponsored child’s school report, as well as a photo and a personalized letter to maintain this special relationship. The curriculum adjusts to the needs of children and was revised in 2016 to offer larger scholarships once compulsory schooling is completed.
This is to encourage children to focus on their studies, as many drop out of school prematurely around the age of 15. In addition to this sponsorship program, the Children’s Foundation for Ecuador awards excellence scholarships to the best students, in order to finance their studies in fields such as medicine, law, computer science and finance. Our graduates then have the opportunity to become volunteers for the Foundation, like Felipe, a former beneficiary of the program who became a student in dentistry, or Natalia, the doctor of the sponsored children.
Since its establishment, more than 100 children per year have benefited from the Foundation’s financial support. Even though education is compulsory in Ecuador until the age of 15, the poorest are often deprived of quality education, thus hindering their access to higher education and vocational training. The sponsorship program was therefore established to allow Canadians to become sponsors, thus financially supporting the education of young Ecuadorians, from kindergarten to university.
Psychology Program
Since 2014, a psychological support programme has been in place. Thanks to the generous financial support of the Marcelle and Jean Coutu Foundation, the FEÉ, in close collaboration with the Fondacion Rosalia, was able to hire a full-time psychologist. In a context where physical and psychological violence is omnipresent, the integration of this program within the Rosalia Foundation is a major step forward. The psychologist meets with all the children attending the daycare, accompanied by their parents, to determine the needs of each one. With some families, she had to perform more in-depth clinical procedures.
She also organized workshops with parents to raise awareness about healthy eating, non-violent education and how to react to children with behavioral disorders. A few workshops were conducted with children to sensitize them to recognize the limits of violence. She works in collaboration with the daycare educators to provide them with concrete tools to manage crisis situations with certain children. The presence of the psychologist meets a real need and all the actors involved in the Rosalia Foundation benefit from her services. Her support for the daycare educators is essential so that they are better prepared to identify problem cases or to better understand the environment in which the children evolve.
It was the president and the director in Pascuales who saw the need to develop this program. Thanks to these many workshops and sessions, the psychological support program is proving effective and is already having an impact on the Pascuales community. Since its creation, more than 4,000 registrations have been recorded for the various training courses offered. The center is run by highly qualified Ecuadorian teachers who have a thorough command of the techniques and knowledge they teach. They often become advisors and friends to their students, who appreciate them immensely.
Fondacion Rosalia Team
