EduK Transformation Center Brings Hope to Mexico City

A Reflection by Georgia Smith

Member of University Baptist Church

Baltimore, MD

In late September, Javier Perez, CBF Director for Strategy and Programs – Global Missions, led a group of nine of us on a vision trip to see EduK Transformation Center outside of Mexico City. Our goal was to understand this pilot program’s approach to lifting children out of poverty and to see if it had the potential for replication in other areas in Latin America.  Javier’s dream is to have five sites in Latin America where 5,000 children will be lifted out of poverty by 2045.

        What we found was an education program, located in the mountains abutting a national nature reserve, that radiated joy, fostered strong connections and offered real opportunity for the families involved.  EduK serves a community of 425 families who relocated to Mexico City for a better life. Finding the city too expensive to live in, people moved into this area, an hour’s walk uphill from the nearest bus stop, to build cinderblock houses wall by wall and raise their families.  There were no roads, no electricity, no water.  As one mother told us there was nothing there but quiet, but gradually, by working together, the residents are changing that.

EduK Transformation Center was started by Javier and his wife right before the pandemic.  It is currently led by Erica, a highly skilled community worker, who moved from the city to live next door to the Center so that she could be a part of the community.  We never saw her without a smile on her face as she welcomed the students and parents to the Center.  EduK has a two-generation approach to addressing poverty.  For children, it offers a preschool program based on Montessori curriculum to teach critical and creative thinking and independence.  They are focused on pre math and reading skills to set up the children for success in school.  In addition, they offer after school homework help for older children and an opportunity to play, do yoga and unwind.  EduK hopes to add an entrepreneurship program for teenagers in the future.  All students have access to speech therapy, if they need it, and they receive at least one meal during their program time.  The team on the vision trip can attest to how delicious the food is.

We also had the opportunity to meet the mothers of the children.  EduK runs a weekly Mothers’ Group and a Father’s Group where parents go to share their joys and concerns and to learn parenting skills.  The goal is to strengthen families, but in addition, the bonds formed with their peers during these meetings have helped the community advocate for government services in the area.  The parents are currently addressing landownership issues so that their homes can be secure.

The visiting team also had a chance to experience Mexico City’s rich and long history by seeing several cultural sites including ancient pyramids and places of religious or historical significance.  We were able to experience the context in which the program operates and to think about the possibilities. As impressive as these were, I think the most fun we had was playing ball tag with the kids at EduK and watching one three year old girl quietly show us her ability to work with numbers.  The future looks bright.

Plans are underway for a second site in Mexico, and they are looking for church or nonprofit partners in other countries.  For more information about the program contact Javier Perez at Jperez@cbf.net. If you would like to explore a partnership with CBF’s Latin America strategy or attend a future vision trip, contact Sean Roberds at macbf1994@gmail.com.