New Hope Sponsor
Program
Mountains of Hope has entered into a working partnership
with Colegio Artesanal. The educational enrichment projects
for the 2009-'10 Rotary International sponsored Intiligencia
Program are now established at the school; namely, the
Community Library, the computer lab and the Creative Arts
classroom. This excellent arrangement enables the students
of Colegio Artesanal to participate in the library, computer
lab, and creative arts classes as part of their curriculum.
These same facilities are available for enrichment programs
for the Pimampiro community.

Mountains of Hope has recognized the vast
importance of supporting young women in their
education. For the 2009-'10 school year, MoH has
launched the New Hope Sponsor Program, a
comprehensive plan to assist all one hundred
students of Centro Artesanal. To date, New Hope
Sponsorship donations have paid for tuition, fabric,
textile supplies, transportation and meals. As a
result, the students are thriving, enthusiatic for this
vital assistance that brings them a renewed sense
of self worth and hope for a quality education.
Supporting Women's Education, a Golden Investment
New Hope Sponsor Program provides annual tuition and basic educational materials to enable
girls to attend Centro Artesanal Rosa Zarate in Pimampiro. Centro Artesanal is an excellent
well-managed trade school for girls which offers training in textile arts; including design, sewing, embroidery,
knitting and small business management, as well as the standard secondary school curriculum. The school
serves one hundred students ages 12-15 from poor rural communities around Pimampiro.
Regularly each year, a number of enrolled students leave the
school because their family can not afford the minimum
requisites of educational supplies such as pieces of cloth for
sewing samples, a spiral binder, sneakers for recreation or
thread for embroidery. The widespread poverty in the region
also means that many students arrive to school without
having eaten a breakfast meal. Girls leave their rural homes
at 5:00 am to reach the school on time and pass the day
hungry until they return home in the afternoon.

A detailed study of the primary needs of the students and the
school was completed September 2007 with assistance from
MoH staff. It found overall that the school survives on a bare
minimum budget (avg. teacher's salary $180/ month)and
Centro Artesanal and Mountains of Hope held several
staff meetings together to determine how to alleviate
these distressing cases where existing students leave
the school for inability to buy the required educational
materials and/or physical weakness due to lack of proper
food. Careful research by Director Mercedes Mendez
and the nine dedicated teachers determined that -
This situation can be remedied by funding four
crucial items for each student:
" Text book - basic yearly curriculum text - - $15
" Textiles - 1/2 of the annual cost for cloth needed for sewing samples - - $30
" Essentials - bus fare, shoes, backpack, as needed - - $20
" School meal - the cost per year to provide a bi-weekly wholesome meal at school - - $60
Total annual cost to secure a girls education - $125
Most parents of the students can afford some school
supplies and the school uniform for their daughters. It
is essential that each girl's family participate as able.
The girls who need complete financial assistance are
those students recognized by Centro Artesanal staff
who would implicitly not be able to attend school
without this scholarship. Our fine partnership with
Centro Artesanal assures that funds go directly to
those students most in need.

- will supply a student with essential materials or school supplies - i.e.
embroidery thread, fabric, needles, spiral notebook, and/or shoes.



- supports the Centro Artesanal based library - literacy initiative with
purchases of bi-lingual books, educational resources, shelving,
teacher's aids


- enables a girl to fulfill her dream of an education at Centro Artesanal
for a full scholastic year.


- supports both a full year $125 scholarship for a student and $75 for
the Intiligencia Educational Enrichment Program, including a
contribution to improve school equipment and teaching materials at
Colegio Artesanal.
that most of the girls can not afford all of the basic
educational supplies, and many students often arrive
to school hungry.
If you prefer to send your tax deductible
donations via postal mail please use
the following information:
Mountains of Hope
c/o Focus International
4930 East Texas Road
Allentown, PA 18106
Payable to Focus International
Check memo: New Hope Sponsor Program
New Hope Sponsor Program offers four levels of effective participation: