This independent project presents the unique opportunity of using one's own interests and expanding on them to acuire valuable information and experience.  From the start of my Oaxaquen adventure I have been looking forward to a more independent approach to learning.  I would list off questions about all sorts of different topics that caught my interest and I eventually realized the central themes that make me tick.  I love to learn about people; how they live, who they interact with, what they do in life. To me, education is an extremely important aspect of living life in order to become aware and able to conduct one's future.  

     

     Before arriving in Oaxaca I searched online for somewhere to work with children throughout the semester and I came across El Centro de Esperanza Infantil (CEI).  After volunteering with students at CEI for a couple weeks I realized that I could combine what I was enjoying doing in my free time and what I needed to do for class.  Already I was spending time getting to know the people and organization of El Centro de Esperanza Infantil and this independent project only added a bit more formality to my search for knowledge. Looking at the situation from a broader perspective I began to wonder why the English name for CEI is Oaxaca Street Children Grassroots.  Since I have researched many different volunteering organizations I am familiar with the term grassroots, but I did not know what it really means. 

 

      While in Oaxaca I am attempting to understand what grassroots programs are, how they function and ultimately how they benefit those they work with.  I am specifically concentrating on El Centro de Esperanza Infantil as it assists underprivileged children and young adults by providing educational funding and a supportive environment in the center of town.  With an understanding of how grassroots programs better their members, I am completing case study of El Centro de Esperanza Infantil (CEI).

 

What is "Grassroots"?

 

     Before discussing my findings about El Centro de Esperanza Infantil (CEI) I feel that it is necessary to define “grassroots”.  Smith (1997) and Rowel (2012) describe grassroots programs as “locally based, volunteer non-profit associations that foster social support and mutual helping, stimulation and self-expression, happiness and health, sociopolitical activation, and economic and other outcomes among members”. The formation of the program also helps to classify a grassroots since they tend to be community driven and built from the bottom up.  This allows for those who are experiencing any prospective problem to be in a position of power and be an active part of the solution. Lasker (2004) and Rowell noted that when citizens and local peoples are more involved in decision-making they are more likely to trust the organizations and therefore the program should be able to run smoothly.

 

     Brian D Christians analyzes grassroots organizations in terms of the focus that they give to relationships formed between the community and members of the programs.  He claims that “one-to-one meetings are the source of the organization’s power and its basic method for finding and acquiring energy, talent, and ideas’’ (887).  These “one-to-one meetings” are “brief semi-structured conversations between participants” of the organization.  Typically conducted between people of power and people acquiring power through the grassroots organization, the one-to-ones act as a “transformation to leadership”.  The aforementioned “energy, talent, and ideas” can lead to the whole of the program being discussed. Basically, communication and equal exchange of knowledge are vital aspects of initiating long-term and functioning relationships that permit for a beneficial grassroots organization.

 

     My findings thus far have demonstrated that the establishment and current operation of Oaxaca Street Children and El Centro de Esperanza Infantil (CEI) align moderately well with the term “grassroots”. I will further expand my the idea of "grassroots" by analyzing CEI from its start to modern day existence.

 

 

The Beginning of Oaxaca Street Children Grassroots

 

            When seated at a table, finishing a meal in the Zócolo, Cliff, an extranjero from the Midwest, was approached by a young boy asking for money.  He heard a loud voice from a couple of tables away asking the boy in English why he was always in the Zócolo instead of in school.  The inquisitive woman interrupted Cliff’s meal by requesting that, if he spoke Spanish, could he please repeat her question to the child.  Since he taught Spanish in the United States for years, Cliff spoke to the young boy, “Por que no estás en la escuela?” The child simply responded, “No puedo”, I can’t. The woman gave him some food and she left with plans of joining Cliff for a meal another day. 

 

     The curious woman, Jodi Bauman, her husband, Harold and Cliff chose a different restaurant in the Zócolo.  As they finished their comida the same young boy approached their table again and Cliff asked the same question, “Por que no estás en la escuela?” but this time he offered more details.  His father had been shot in his village and his mother decided to move the family into the city for more job opportunities.  She spoke  Triqui, an indigenous language, and dressed in her group’s clothing. The boy spoke about how she was heavily discriminated against when she arrived in the city.  She was unable to find a job and the young boy became the breadwinner by begging on the streets and working at whatever jobs he could find. He was nine years old and had attended three years of school in his village, where he learned to speak Spanish, allowing him to survive in Oaxaca city.  Due to school regulations it was not possible for him to attend school without  his birth certificate and vaccinations even if he did not have to work.  The woman at the restaurant, Jodi, her husband, Harold, and Cliff decided to send this boy to school.

 

     In 1995, Ruben, the very same young boy, became the first student of Oaxaca Street Children. By 1996 the couple, Cliff and their friends were supporting about seventy families in need. They then formalized their efforts by creating Oaxaca Street Children Grassroots, which is the United States based portion of the program.  It provides a way to connect Oaxaqueño children with sponsors or padrinos from all over the world. In 2000 they bought the building on La Calle Crespo and launched El Centro de Esperanza Infantil (CEI).  Located in the center of Oaxaca city, the building acts as a safe and supportive environment for the sponsored children to gather. As of 2012 the organization has grown to include 608 children, seven staff members, and sponsors and volunteers from twenty different countries (Cliff). 

 

 

Staff

   

     By searching the Oaxaca Street Children Grassroots’ website I learned how decisions are made and w ho makes up the United States Board Members. The board members are introduced to CEI supporters through a small picture and a brief paragraph on the website's "Board Members" page . A president, vice president, and secretary are accompanied by six voting colleagues all appearing to be middle aged, middle class, Caucasians from the United States.  A personal story accompanies each photograph, describing the person’s connection to Oaxaca and the Street Children and their occupation. This group of board members from the United States collaborates with the Oaxacan board, which consists of three Oaxaqueñas and Cliff.  The onsite board holds regular meetings that include most of the seven staff who are all from Oaxaca, with the exception of Cliff and the office assistant, Yesenia. She is Mexican, but has grown up in the United States and just completed her degree in anthropology from the University of California Los Angeles. She now works in the office organizing everything from the children on record to the lessons provided.

     

     In addition to these two, the staff is composed of Doña Maria, Lupe, Teresa, Leonor, and Juana. As a social worker Doña Marie assists the children of the program with any problems when they first arrive as well as throughout their education and involvement with CEI. Lupe is the accountant who manages all of the sponsor contributions, general donations, lesson earnings and every monetary topic. Each student has their own bank account so that the money from their sponsors goes directly to them to use for their education.  Teresa, a young Oaxacqueña woman, worked as the secretary, signing in the children and visitors and now she works in the computer room. Leonor and Juana are both mothers of children involved in CEI.  As the building cleaner, Leonor works at CEI everyday and is able to see her daughter, Esmeralda when she arrives after her morning school.  Leonor is of indigenous background and is not formally educated.  She gave birth to her daughter as a rape victim.  Juana on the other hand, is a relative of Ruben, the first student of Oaxaca Street Children.  She is also not formally educated, but has been consistently working as CEI’s cook since the building opened in 2000 (Cliff).

 

Top: Lupita (accountant), Tere (secretary), Yesenia (office organizer)

Bottom: Leonor (custodian), Peppo (long-term volunteer), María (social worker)

Missing: Cliff (founder/directer), Juana (cook)

 

 

Volunteers

    

     Another essential position in the organization of CEI is the volunteer. In an interview with Cliff he said frankly that the “volunteers of this organization are its backbone”.  Coming from over twenty countries, the volunteers at CEI donate about 120 hours per week of their time.  After contacting CEI, volunteers are invited to the Crespo location to meet with Yesenia or Peppo to discuss how they are qualified to work at CEI and how they can take part. CEI clearly states expectations that volunteers must adhere to while representing CEI. Most of these expectations have to do with appropriate dress and compassionate yet professional interaction between volunteers and students.  Each prospective volunteer assesses their own skills and talents that could benefit CEI and their availability to be on site.  

     

     Volunteers teach lessons or act as tutors for the educational part of the program. They also assist Juana in the kitchen with chopping, cooking and cleaning. Long-term volunteers tend to do more of the teaching and secretary work, while short-term volunteers work on small projects or lessons. CEI advertises on their own website as well as those of Lonely Planet and Volunteer South America.  In addition, CEI has a Facebook page and collaborates with a local language and cultural school, Bacari (Peppo).  Bacari is run by one of the Oaxacqueño board members who teaches Spanish classes there.  They provide discounted Spanish lessons to those who volunteer their time with CEI.  The profits of those classes contribute to the general Oaxaca Street Children Fund (Cliff).  Volunteers are here to learn Spanish, but primarily to support the students.

 

 

The Children of CEI

    

     After showing interest in joining CEI the children undergo an interview of sorts and a basic background check done by CEI staff.  They talk with the staff and long-term volunteers at CEI, getting to know the headquarters and introducing their parents to the program. However, it is common for only the mothers to accompany their children on this trip.  After this initial meeting, a representative of CEI travels to the prospective child’s house to assess the living environment.  While there, the staff member makes note of the economic conditions as to evaluate what sort of income the family has and how they spend their money (Peppo).

     

     The children of CEI must attend school and maintain good grades.  When they begin with the organization they must submit a report card.  Twice a year the schools release more grades that act as a checking point.  When grades fall beneath what is accepted for that individual child they must meet with a tutor or take extra lessons.  Often times they also speak with a staff member at CEI to discuss how to improve what they are doing educationally.  Sometimes problems arise when students are not able to attend school due to lack of materials or need to work to help their families. CEI then collaborates with the student and family, making sure that they are using the sponsor money specifically for educational purposes and addressing any other problems individually.

      

     Each of the six hundred children in the CEI program has at least one sponsor.  In Oaxaca a sponsor is known as a padrino or godparent, protector. They provide 250 dollars annually for “their” child to afford an education and the necessities that accompany it including uniforms, shoes, materials, and transportation.  In addition to the fundamentally educational support, padrinos can offer further funds for medical and nutritional expenditures as well as any other needs.  When a child and padrino are matched up each party sends a welcoming letter to the other, opening the doors to a long-term relationship.  Padrinos are usually expected to sponsor their children for their education through high school and hopefully university as well.  Everyone is encouraged to maintain as much of a relationship as they feel comfortable.  Some sponsors visit Oaxaca to get to know the CEI and their sponsored kids, sometimes even returning frequently (Peppo).

 

Liliana, 10 years old

 

Esmerelda

 

Primitiva, 20 years old and Liliana, 10 years old

     

     An alternative to sponsoring a child is donating to the Oaxaca Street Children fund.  People may contribute any amount of money, one time or more, however, they see fit.  This “Fund provides nutritional lunches, medical care, educational supplies, workshops for parents as well as for children, operational expenses for the center, support to children without sponsors and much much more” (website). Donors and sponsors from the United States and Canada supply 70 to 80 percent of financial support for CEI (Peppo).

 

 

Finance

    

     Oaxaca Street Children Grassroots and Centro de Esperanza Infantil are “approved 501(c) (3) nonprofit corporations, chartered in Indiana” (website). According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) this means that "[the] organization must be organized and operated exclusively for exempt purposes set forth in section 501(c)(3), and none of its earnings may inure to any private shareholder or individual."  The exempt purposes that CEI fulfills are that it is charitable, educational, and literary.  Any donations are tax deductable (website).

     

     In response to a need for additional revenue, CEI began offering one-on-one classes to students outside of the program. CEI received such positive and abundant responses to advertising flyers at local schools that now, two months after the external classes commenced, there are more people interested than there are available volunteers to teach.  Offering classes in mathematics, sciences, and various languages, CEI charges thirty pesos per hour (Peppo).

 

 

CEI's Crespo Location

 

     When I first arrived to volunteer the small number of children that go to the CEI everyday surprised me. I was falsely assuming that all the members of the organization are present at the building on any typical day.  To the contrary, only about thirty children go to the CEI’s building everyday and it is even less when school is not in session. Cliff assured me that although not a majority of the students in the program are present at CEI's location, they still have sponsors and receive money to continue their education. Because some children of CEI live very far from the city it is not expected that they make the journey to the city to be a part of the program. Some students live past El Fortín or even as far as Etla.  If the students do not communicate or travel to CEI for some time the staff reaches out to understand what is going differently in the child’s life and how they can be helped. They can still have a sponsor and receive the aid in personal bank accounts while earning good grades at the schools in their hometowns (Peppo). 

 

     Those who do use CEI’s facilities benefit from a plethora of resources.  Each day the hired cook prepares comida for thirty or so students as well as about ten staff and volunteers. The meal is free for children and staff and costs twenty pesos for volunteers.  The money collected from volunteer meals is used for the general fund. From my few interactions with the indigenous cook she seems stern and business oriented, possessing the characteristics of someone not interested in expressing superficial emotions.  She does cook a fantastic Oaxaqueño comida though.  I think this aspect of CEI is one of the main reasons that students arrive each day.  Besides this free meal, many children may not be able to afford any other food for the day.  The meal is as balanced and nutritious as any food in Oaxaca: rice, meat, tortilla, and the occasional vegetable. A set menu ensures that it supplies sufficient calories and is  included in the program.

 

Kitchen

 

      Throughout the year, volunteer doctors arrive to provide different services to the children.  A couple of weeks ago an elder eye doctor from the United States gave free eye exams and glasses to any student with sight problems.  I was shocked that almost every student who I saw that week was carrying around a new pair of glasses.  These children do not go to any, let alone regular, doctor’s appointments, so with the help of CEI’s services they are able to maintain a basic level of health.

     

A volunteer optometrist provides eye exams and glasses for the children of CEI. 

 

        If needed or desired, students may reach out for educational help in the form of tutor sessions or lessons that are taught by volunteers.  Similar to the thirty peso lessons provided to outsiders, the children in the program can in the one-on-one lessons for no cost. CEI staff ask volunteers to conduct these lessons as well as act as a tutor by helping with any homework or educational challenges. There is a well-stocked library that students and volunteers can use for lessons or just for fun.  A wide range of literary levels are catered to in fictional novels and teaching aids in a myriad of subjects. 

 

Entrance 

 

Courtyard

 

Second Floor Classrooms

 

Cafeteria

 

 

My Own Volunteering

           

     For the past couple of months I have been teaching English to a young woman named Primitiva.  We meet twice a week when both of our busy schedules allow.  She comes from Santa Lucia Mecaltepec Yautep Oaxaca, which is about eight hours away from the city.  She and her seven siblings moved into the city to pursue their educations while working to pay for rent, utilities, food, and much more.  With the help of CEI,  Primitiva has three (a couple and an individual) padrinos that help pay for her continued education and all that that entails. She is studying to be a doctor at the Instituto Tecnologico de Oaxaca (ITO) and is in her last semester before she moves onto practical school.  Known as la residencia, this six-month semester provides real practice on patients and hands on work rather than the lectures that are typical of universities. Her schedule of balancing the responsibilities of university with her teaching job and helping to support her family is quite intense.  Despite the challenges that she continues to face in life, she has an incredibly positive attitude and desire to learn. Her sarcastic character and contagious laugh put me in a great mood whenever I am around her.

     

Primi and me during an English lesson

 

Reflection and Discovery

 

     It is difficult to classify a specific organization as “grassroots”.  From what I have learned so far, El Centro de Esperanza Infantil seems to qualify as a grassroots program for the most part, but I am interested in learning more about the community member’s participation and finances.  Since the board in the United States and Cliff hold tremendous power as extranjeros I want to investigate further about the involvement of the children, parents and community in decision-making.  An important aspect of grassroots is the community’s weight in any given situation.  If there is a problem involving the organization that the extranjeros do not view as a problem, do the local students and parents have enough power to make a change? Or vise versa; what happens if CEI believes there is a problem and proceeds to make changes while the students and families do not see anything that needs to be altered?

          

     Ideally, I would have attended a Oaxaqueño board meeting and witnessed how CEI conducts private business and decision making. Unfortunately, the next one will be after I leave Mexico and therefore, I am still curious about the power structure and administrative components of CEI. As of now I am communicating with Cliff about gaining permission to view the nonprofit's annual financial report. When I asked for these fiscal reports at the central office Yesenia told me that they are private papers and that she was confused as to why I would need to see them. After I explained my reasons behind my curiosity she gave me Cliff's email address and I have sent him an inquisitive email. Since I have not yet gotten permission to view the files it seems that I will be leaving Oaxaca with the remaining curiosity about finance and decision making. 

     

     Connecting the qualities of grassroots programs to those that I see at El Centro de Esperanza Infantil only supports my decision to carry out a case study.  I have been able to learn about CEI on such a deeper level than if I had only been a volunteer there.  Although I do not have adequate information regarding the financial and administrative components of CEI I feel that the organization does not qualify as a "grassroots" program because of its lack of community involvement.  I have come to understand that an association can make an incredible difference in an extremely positive manner without being classified as grassroots. I believe that Centro de Esperanza Infantil has done just that.  

 

Quality Indicator 

 

     Now that presentations are over and I am preparing for my final day at Centro de Esperanza Infantil tomorrow it really seems like this individual project is coming to a close. Choosing to do a case study on CEI, I feel grateful to have been able to concentrate so deeply on one organization and a wonderful group of volunteers and students. I think I sufficiently dedicated my time and curiosity to understanding the many different aspects of CEI as well as how well it coincides with being a grassroots program.  By volunteering as an English teacher for Primitiva I feel that I have gained further knowledge that I would not have had access to without working at the project.  I have had the privilege to be a part of a program that, after learning from this case study, I feel proactively benefits its members. By doing many interviews and researching online as well as in person, I have adequately gathered information on my subject. 

 

     Of course, there are definitely things I could have done/could do to improve this case study. To get a wider range of opinions and stories about CEI in general I could have interviewed all employees, some other volunteers, and students. This would have provided even more information and maybe even some negative opinions that I did not encounter. I feel that the two interviews with Cliff and Peppo were very thorough though and in this time period they were sufficient for my case study. Had I attended a board meeting at the location I feel that the project would have really benefitted. I am not sure that this would have been a possibility, but it would have been invaluable in comprehending the decision making process.  Reading the financial reports and attending a meeting could help me better classify CEI's alignment with grassroots standards.   

 

      I prepared a presentation involving identity cards for each of the people listening and participating.  On each card I wrote the story of a student from CEI, including their name, age, family/living situation as well as more individual information.  By reading their new identity as a Oaxaqueño in need I hope my friends understood their need for a way out of poverty, specifically through education and aided by Centro de Esperanza Infantil. I went on to explain how CEI provides support for students through sponsors and the Crespo location and how the program functions as a whole. After explaining my case study and having a discussion with the group, I shared the present circumstances of each identity from the beginning after they had joined CEI; these were all stories of success.  I feel that this presentation accurately portrayed my experience and understanding of CEI. 

 

Research Timeline

 

1. Make contact with CEI, January

          Met with Yesenia and became a volunteer!

 

2. Volunteer, January-April

          Teaching English to Primitiva! Twice a week when possible

 

3. Interview long-term volunteer, Peppo, February

          Conversational interview with Peppo (in Spanish)

 

4. Interview director, Cliff, February

          Formal interview in English

 

5. Take pictures at CEI, April

          Visual representation!

 

6. Attend a board meeting, ASAP

          Need to further understand the share of power and finance

 

Bibliography

 

Christens, Brian D. "Public Relationship Building in Grassroots Community Organizing: Relational Intervention for Individual and Systems Change."Journal of Community Psychology38.7 (2010): 886-900. Print.

 

          Cliff. Personal interview. 24 Feb. 2012.

 

Lasker, R. D. (2004). Redefining readiness: Terrorism planning through the eyes of the public. New York, NY: Academy of Medicine.

 

"Oaxaca Streetchildren Grassroots."Oaxaca Streetchildren Grassroots. Web. Feb. 2012. <http://www.oaxacastreetchildrengrassroots.org/archive/about/history>.

 

          Peppo. Personal interview. 22 Feb. 2012.

 

Rowel Rnady, Payam Sheikhattari, Tanyka M. Barber, and Myrtle Evans-Holland. "Introduction of a Guide to Enhance Risk Communication Among Low-Income and Minority Populations: A Grassroots Community Engagement Approach."Health Promotion Practice13.1 (2012): 124-32. Web. 24 Feb. 2012.

 

Smith, D. H. (1997). Grassroots associations are important: Some theory and a review of the impact literature. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 26, 269-306.