Incawasi strongly believes that to best serve our beneficiaries, it is critical to maintain close relationships with their families so that we can be partners in providing students the tools they need to succeed. Incawasi staff regularly conducts home visits to foster that bond and better understand the home situation of each child.
We also organize periodic meetings with mothers (given that most of the children we work with come from female-headed homes) to allow them to be involved with their children’s academic development and to keep abreast of what is going on in the organization. We also prepare workshops for the mothers that include promoting hygiene, giving them tips on how to best support their children academically and providing resources to deal with domestic violence. We also respond to ad hoc requests from families, especially for those who may have very limited literacy.
We also encourage mothers to volunteer a small portion of their time at Incawasi when their schedules allow, ensuring greater buy-in and involvement on their part.
Incawasi works closely with other community-based and local organizations to strengthen our programming through partnerships and collaboration. Some of the organizations that we have worked with in the past include Niños y Adolescentes Trabajadores (Working Children and Adolescents), Chibolitos (a local organization supporting child laborers), ADECCA MUJER (organization against domestic violence). We are part of the Committee for Prevention and Eradication of Child Labor (CEREPETI) and the Mesa de Concertación de Lucha Contra la Pobreza (networks of institutions striving to end poverty).