In-country partners are key to Unity 4 Orphans’ holistic model to help vulnerable children as well as create jobs for educators and counselors who share our mission.
As our organization expands to welcome more countries and partners into our growing family, we’re helping dedicated and well-trained individuals through consistent employment. The lack of opportunities to earn a living wage perpetuates the cycle of poverty in many places in Latin America.
In-Country Partners Raise Their Communities Through Solid Employment
Partnering with people embedded in their local communities empowers them to rise above poverty and reach out and enable others to do the same. They’re consistently building relationships with families who need trusted educators, mentors, and counselors to come alongside their children and help build them up. These compassionate adults will hopefully be in a family’s life for years and able to develop a long-term relationship of care and encouragement.
By hiring in-country partners we help empower the local economy because people are staying in their communities, improving them, and earning money doing it, so they’re able to invest that money back into their communities.
–Caitlin Snyder, Engagement Director
Through being involved in each other’s lives, families we serve throughout Latin America receive vital tools to uplift each other. Historically, many women in particular have had limited job opportunities, and partnering with U4O provides vocational training and qualifies them for gainful and reliable employment.
Established ESL Program in Nicaragua Provides Work for Graduates
Since 2015 we’ve partnered with educators and counselors in Nicaragua who teach English as a second language and give students educational and relational support. This longevity has produced many success stories, including students who have become interns and teachers, as well as those who have continued to university following graduation.
One of our ESL program graduates contacted me and has become involved in the Saturday program. She told me about the progress she’s made and what she learned in the program about discipline, organization, and time management, as well as how counseling helped her development. Now she is fluent in English, helping students and earning wages as a tutor.
–Lai, Nicaragua Program Director
One former student in particular is teaching younger children to speak English and has even employed another U4O program graduate as a teacher’s aide. This exemplifies the kind of success we’re looking to replicate in other countries, including our newest location in El Salvador, where our programs are helping children living in poverty.
Partners in Latin America Enabled to Create Jobs and Help More Children
In Mexico, partners Rene and Cristina held a program that solely met on Saturdays. Recently they have expanded to provide midweek access to the learning center. A pastor’s wife in the community, who also teaches English as a second language, conducts ESL classes twice a week. The program also boasts five donated computers for children to utilize for homework, addressing the lack of computer access in their homes.
In different countries, we help empower our partners, as well as provide supplemental education and access to counseling services for vulnerable children. Unfortunately, children in the communities where we serve may have limitations to public education where the class size is up to 40 and 50 students.
–Joe Brandi, Founder & Mission Director
Our goal in having pastors and their wives visit children in local community centers during the week is not only about education, but to offer mentorship and help students know that God loves them. Without dedicated partners to execute our programs, none of the almost 2,000 children in our programs would have access to counselors to help them heal from abuse and realize their potential. Join us in providing meaningful jobs for dedicated partners so that they can change the lives of children and help break the cycle of poverty through holistic care!