TOGETHER WE WILL
Oaxaca Youth Empowerment serves children and youth in Oaxaca, Mexico, to help ensure their full and continued access to education.
A STORY OF HOPE
Watch “A Story of Hope,” our new mini-documentary, filmed and edited by Camila Carrera and produced by OYE’s Otoniel Mecinas. Through intimate stories and insightful interviews, we explore how OYE continues to change lives in Oaxaca.
Casa Emilie Wins Prize with First LEGO League
During the 2023-2024 First LEGO League cycle, themed “Masterpiece,” Casa Emilie participated virtually in the competition in Chiapas, Mexico. Their project aimed to promote arts education by leveraging STEM. Over the last three months, they implemented LEGO Education values, emphasizing the educational value of play. Their efforts were rewarded as they won first place in the Social Impact category.
New Name, Same Mission
In January 2024, we changed our organization’s name from Oaxaca Streetchildren Grassroots to Oaxaca Youth Empowerment (OYE).
We are the primary funder for Centro de Esperanza Infantil (CEI), a non-profit based in Oaxaca, Mexico, that operates two centers: Casa Jodi and Casa Emilie. Both provide lunch daily, academic tutoring and counseling, and workshops to upwards of 550 program participants and their families. Casa Jodi also houses CEI’s administrative staff, who manage the financial aid that provides students with uniforms, shoes, and materials, and underwrites their school fees.
When my mother learned of CEI, I knew that I had a good opportunity to stay in school. Now, I am graduating with a degree in medical surgery and will pursue a specialty, perhaps traumatology. I have an older brother who is now an engineer and two younger sisters who are enrolled in CEI.
— Kevin David Cruz Velasco
Medical school graduate, 14 years in CEI
