Programa Integral Educando con Amor y Tenure (PIEAT)

Introduction

PIEAT is a program based on grassroots relationship and democracy building through early childhood care and education initiatives. It uses a home visitation program that is a fundamental and unique opportunity to develop relationships with members of the community. In order to give ample opportunity for the development of these relationships each family is visited a minimum of 8 times. The emphasis on early childhood care breaks through the challenges of political and economic inequalities that are frequently present. Health and nutrition outreach, discussions on the importance of edcuation for their quality of life and in breaking the cycle of poverty, in addition to weekly story hours and play groups for children are some of the unique opportunities that PIEAT provides the local villages and barrios of Jalapa.

PIEAT's areas of focus

Early childhood education

The goal is to provide learning opportunities for parents, teachers, young women, and community leaders in early childhood education. They hold story hours and other play groups for children in the villages.

Health

PIEAT teaches and models ways of healthy living for children as well as the entire family. They promote respect for children and ways to keep them safe from neglect and abuse. This iss provided through hands on learning opportunities while visiting mothers and other primary caretakers through a house-to-house visitation program.

Child Care

PIEAT provides daycare facilities for parents to use while they are at work or school. They create a nurturing, safe, and stimulating environment for children to play and learn.

Community Services

PIEAT helps the communities to organize using their limited resources. This has partially been accomplished through the development of a council of 18 organizations who are involved with children as defined by the United Nations. Organizations in this council include, but are not limited to, the municipality, the Red Cross, OYANCA (a safe house like organization), the public schools, the health clinics and hospitals, and Save the Children.

Leadership and democracy

PIEAT's foundation is built around the fundamentals of democracy. Leadership and democracy workshops, seminars, and other educational opportunities are provided.

Daily work

PIEAT members work 25 to 30 hours per week. Once a week each member holds a story hour, visits 15 homes, presents one workshop in each of 8 communities, works in the local hospital or clinic, meets as a group, and visits the three running child care centers. They are paid by fundraising and private donations. 100% of your donation goes to the salary of PIEAT members, child cared providers, educational materials and books, and/or food for the children in the centers. We try to pay PIEAT members and childcare providers a salary of $25.00 a week plus transportation fees. This requires an annual budget of $20,000. Educational centers are only available in a limited number of communities. PIEAT would like to provide educational facilities as well as educators for these centers. Each center costs approximately $15,000, and provides school for 120 children age birth through 8 years. It addition, educational facilities provide learning centers for parents.