Mano Amiga “Helping Hand” Schools

Mano Amiga “Helping Hand” Schools

An Integral Catholic Education will not only equip needy children for life on earth but also prepares them for eternal life in Heaven! – BISHOP PEDRO PABLO ELIZONDO, CANCÚN, MEXICO

Education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty in the poorest areas of Latin American countries. We address this through Catholic education centers we call “Mano Amiga” (“Helping Hand”) schools. These centers start as grade schools and grow as we add middle school, high school, adult education and job training courses for teens and parents alike. In just a few decades, this approach transforms impoverished neighborhoods into middle class communities.

Helping Hands Schools focus on:

• Completing education (Pre-K through High school), affording all students college opportunities
• Offering Catholic education and faith activities for the whole family
• Teaching of Christian virtues and character development, strengthening family bonds
• Providing instruction in trades and organizational skills to older students and younger parents

We currently have 34 schools serving over 17,000 students!

Progress
With a mission to help lift needy families and their children out of poverty, the first Helping Hand School was started in Mexico City in 1963. Its first class consisted of 15 kindergarten boys and girls in two small classrooms, using a blackboard propped up by trash barrels.

Today, Catholic World Mission, supports 34 Helping Hand schools teaching over 17,000 students in Mexico, Venezuela, Chile, Argentina, El Salvador, and Colombia. Our most recent addition is a school in Itapecerica, Brazil (in the outskirts of Sao Paulo). Helping Hand students regularly attain the top scores in regional and national tests, helping them to qualify for college scholarships and financial aid, proving the highest value of an integral Catholic education.

Thirty years ago, a needy child named José Antonio Heredia enrolled in a Helping Hand School. Today, he is one of the best cardiovascular surgeons in Monterrey, Mexico, and has his own practice in a prestigious medical center.  Dr. Heredia has maintained his involvement in Helping Hand schools and enthusiastically supports its programs.

Give the Gift this Year that will Last Two Lifetimes!
Help a needy child enroll in a Helping Hand School for a year or more…

Funding and Scholarship Opportunities:

• Full annual scholarship $780 per student
• Semester scholarship $360 per student
• One month scholarship $65 per student