(during this extraordinary time of the COVID-19 pandemic)
The young women of Cara Adelante returned to their family homes on March 18th when in person school was terminated. They were sent home with large despensas of food and supplies. Because of the extreme poverty of some families and their inability to earn income under the government’s stay-at-home order, we occasionally provided money for food purchases. Each young woman was sent home with a cell phone data plan and a laptop to enable them to receive online instruction from their schools and to be able to send in homework and take tests. Because of the remoteness of some homes and how rapidly online video instruction was consuming their cell phone data, and we had to investigate other options to keep them connected.
Having quiet places to study AND have internet access can also be a challenge. However the board felt that we could not guarantee their safety or the safety of our staff if we continued in a group home setting.
Staff members Laura Huerta (Program Director) and Carolina Piñon (Education Specialist) went to the office once a week, at different times, otherwise the house was not occupied. They both stayed in touch with the school administrators, and held Zoom calls with these young women multiple times a week to check on them and assess their physical and mental state. Contests were employed to keep them engaged (like who can make the most progress in a week with the Duolingo English instruction program), with prizes to look forward to when they eventually returned.
The staff was retained at 100% pay so that they could take care of themselves and continue whatever assistance they might provide to their families. Fixed monthly expenses like salary, employee benefits, accounting services, rent and telephone remain unchanged. Variable expenses like food, clothing, transportation, gas and electricity were much less, though the savings were partially offset by providing remote support for internet and some food purchases.
Our efforts were focused both on keeping these young women safe as well as planning for their future. We made the required payments for the next semester’s high-school inscriptions. We continued to weigh the trade-offs of their poor home situations versus group living as we watched how the pandemic evolved. We wanted to return them to the happy, healthy life they had together in Pátzcuaro as quickly and safely as possible.
Unfortunately, our concerns regarding family dysfunction, overcrowded households, poverty, lack of privacy and inadequate internet service proved true in varying degrees. In one case the student was required to work to bring in money despite our stipends and supplementary food for the family. Grades suffered, they were very unhappy and they all longed to be together again under the Cara Adelante umbrella.
As we considered options for bringing them back from their villages, we were grateful to have one of our donors, Connie Paraskeva, offer her home until it was safe to return to the house in Pátzcuaro. Connie has a wonderful property on a lake with cabins and casitas for housing so these young women could continue their studies. They were able to go to a comfortable space with reliable internet, many recreational activities and their own kitchen. The fenced property was secure and they were isolated from the general public. They thrived being back together again with their Cara Adelante sisters.
After a 14 day quarantine they took advantage of the dogs, horses, bicycles, hiking and kayaking that the camp offered. They had already learned to manage their study time, plan and cook meals, and live independently at the Pátzcuaro house, so they easily settled into these routines in this new setting. They did their weekly meal planning and Laura, the project director, delivered food and other supplies weekly, as well as checked on their physical and mental well being. Edmundo Arciga, a board member, accompanied her to provide tutoring in math and science, and Alejandra Hernandez provided English instruction via Skype.
They also experienced personal growth as they took on new challenges. For example, several of them began taking 2.5 hour mountain bike rides. In the beginning they were tentative and nervous about the terrain, but responding to the challenge, they gave it their all and succeeded. We were all thrilled to see them learn new skills and become more confident in their abilities.
During this time our fixed expenses remained unchanged. Variable expenses were lower when they were at their homes, but expenses approached pre-COVID-19 levels once we resumed responsibility for their care and support.
Online school resumed the middle of August and all the young women returned to the house in Pátzcuaro. With no end of the pandemic in sight, we reluctantly overcame our March hesitance about maintaining a group home by instituting rigorous sanitary controls. Also they had requested supervised visits with their family at the group home; something the families were unable to do because of the remoteness of the camp.
The day to day life at the house was now under supervision of Lola Alonso Garcia, hired temporarily during Covid to live in the house, acting as the House Mother, to ensure that the students are safe and secure. Lola, who was a resident of the former Casa Hogar, finished her university education in Uruapan. Her degree is in social work, and she is a valuable addition to the household.
Two new students—twins—joined the program at this time to attend high school and live in the house. That brought the total number of young women in the Cara Adelante program to eight; 5 in preparatoria and 3 in university (2 in Patzcuaro, one in León).
The León student who is studying to be a veterinarian is also a Casa Hogar alumna. She lived in our house because her home village does not have internet and this semester’s classes were online only. As a stellar student, she has been a wonderful role model for the others.
Now they have entered the next year of their education, using the internet and other methods of distance learning. They were safely isolated from contact with the coronavirus while at the camp in Umecuaro, but since they returned to Pátzcuaro they were no longer in a protected environment. This created new challenges, but we had confidence that they would be able to overcome them just as they had when learning new physical skills. They are remarkable young women.
Navidad and Nubia (identical twins) began their 1st semester in preparatoria. Alma and Carmen began 3rd, and Adri began 5th, all at CBTIS-94. Roxana began her 1st semester of university in Pátzcuaro studying nutrition, and Ana Alicia began her 2nd year at the Technology Institute in Tzurumutaro studying community engineering. (For support and safety they will continue to live at the house during the pandemic.) We have received the first grades of the year, and are happy to report that everyone has delivered excellent performance, with many 9s and 10s.
To accommodate full-time remote education for seven students, it was necessary to upgrade the WiFi and some laptops. We continued to offer in-person tutoring in English and math and science at the house, so these young women can remain academically strong despite the challenges.
Because we provide 100% of their needs (housing, food, clothing, health care, tuition, etc.) and they don’t return to their families on weekends, our monthly expenses have increased significantly.
Laura Huerta (Director) and Carolina Piñon (Education Specialist) continue to guide the program. They have been creative and dedicated as they assist all of our students dealing with the protocols, anxiety, and mental health challenges of living in pandemic times. They took part in a country wide workshop over the summer specifically for managing Covid at Casa Hogares. The team set up appropriate safety protocols and family visitations using best practices from the workshop.
Our house is large and we are always in need of in-kind additional furnishings, such as wardrobes, bedside tables, desks, and reading lamps, and a new refrigerator/freezer.
Thank you again for your invaluable contributions and your enthusiastic support of our students. As the project has grown, it’s clear to all that we couldn’t do it without you!
Cara Adelante, AC Board of Directors
Mark, Nancy, Suzanne, Gordon, Luis, Lourdes, Edmundo