We want to take a few blog posts and share about our amazing staff at Club Esperanza and some of the Extra programs that they put together in their own free time.  “Extra Time”… going far above and beyond to affect the lives of our children and families at the Club.

“C.E.L.A:  Club Embarazada y Lactante” – Yaraseth lives in the community surrounding Club Esperanza.  She has been a teacher with us ever since we had the school Colegio Esperanza in the dump community of La Chureca.  She is a young mother herself and when the opportunity to start a special group for pregnant and nursing mothers arose, Yara volunteered.  She now organizes and runs this group on Fridays with the assistance of the mother of one of her preschool students.  Pregnancy, nursing and mothering a newborn can be a very difficult time in one’s life.  Those difficulties are multiplied in the circumstances of poverty in our community.  Yara uses the time to provide not just the support of friendship, but also teaching and education to help the mothers with some basic ideas and tips to make life easier.  They have fun together too in the midst of the excitement of having dozens of babies in the same meeting (when they all start crying at once it gets really exciting!).  We also distribute donations of clothing, baby supplies, etc to help our mothers materially as well.  There are nearly 30 mothers who participate…pretty stinkin’ awesome!