Remember the working children of Ecuador this Christmas with handmade cards from the Centre for the Working Girl (CENIT).

Made from recycled paper and pressed flowers, these unique cards flew off our stalls last year.

Sonrisa will be selling the cards at two ethical fairs, where you will also be able to buy lots of other fair-trade gifts.

Fair Christmas Fayre
Wednesday 3rd December
279 Oxford Street
12pm - 9pm

Canning House Fair
Thursday 18th December
2 Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8PJ
4 pm - 8:30 pm

We are also planning to go for drinks after the fair on the 18th to have a catch up and chat about fundraising ideas for the coming year. It would be great to see as many of you as possible there.

If you would like to come along find us at the Sonrisa stand.

Much of the money raised by Sonrisa helps the Centre for the Working Girl (CENIT) pay for the vital members of staff it needs to carry out its work.

As Sonrisa prepares to send off this year’s funding contribution, take a look at who works at the centre in Quito:

CENIT staff biographies:

Name: Tania Elisabeth
Profession: Pre-school Teacher

Tania has worked as a teacher in CENIT for six years. Previously she worked as a teacher in the ‘Rosa Virginia’ high school where she taught dress-making. She is currently working as the Kindergarten teacher. Tania got married one year ago and she has a baby daughter.

Tania was particularly moved by an experience she had with one pupil in particular, Andrea used to behave in an aggressive manner, but as her teacher, Tania gained the girl’s trust and discovered that she had problems at home due to the fact that her father was taking drugs. Andrea now lives with her older sister, who is a single mother. Andrea finished her studies in CENIT and she went on to study in a regular high school and she worked at the same time to support her studies. Tania discovered that Andrea’s behaviour improved greatly and she proved she had a lot to offer.

For Tania, it is really worrying that most of the Kindergarten children haven’t had breakfast when they come to CENIT in the mornings. Daniela, for example, who is five years old and from a single parent family, now lives with her grandmother after her mother remarried. Her grandmother leaves to go and work in the market and leaves Daniela in the care of a seven-year-old girl. Daniela comes to CENIT really dirty and she never wears underwear. The teacher recommends that she needs more attention and affection from her mother. Daniela lives in very basic accommodation in abject poverty where she doesn’t even have access to basic services. Tania has a lot of patience with Daniela and cares deeply for her.

Name: Nancy Ester
Profession: Nursing Assistant and Nutritionist

Nancy has two sons, one is 22 and the other is six years old. She is a single mother and lives with her sons in order to help them in their studies. Nancy works as a nurse in the Clinic and also in the Street Clinic Monday to Friday. The work involves visiting people in the markets and taking their blood pressure. If they have high blood pressure, she will encourage them to go to CENIT’s clinic to see the Doctor. She does the same for glucose levels too and advises people to seek medical attention at CENIT.

During Nancy’s work, she discovered the reality of malnutrition in a seven-month-old baby who she came across in the markets where she works. The case was so severe that the baby was hospitalised in the Baca Ortiz Children’s Hospital. For Nancy it was a really emotional experience trying to understand how a mother must feel seeing her child so sick.

Nancy also works with the personnel in the kitchen. Her job is to make sure the children receive a balanced diet and also to ensure that the meals are nutritious and are prepared in hygienic conditions.

Name: Cristina Elisabeth
Profession: General Services

Cristina works in general services in CENIT; a large part of her job is cleaning. Cristina has suffered a lot since her childhood because her parents abused her and her two brothers and so she went to live in a care home with her brothers. After this, Cristina was moved to CENIT’s hostel where she spent part of her adolescence. Then she met the father of her child, Fernando, who offered her a life of lies and left her the responsibility of being both mother and father to their child.

Currently Cristina enjoys her work in CENIT and she is trying to raise her son with excellent examples.

Cristina treats all the children of CENIT as if they were her own, she is always keeping an eye out for any children who look sad or maybe have problems. She picked up the case of Miguel Ángel who studied in ESTAR, CENIT’s primary school. It was a normal day and Cristina saw that Miguel Ángel had very red eyes so she asked him what was wrong but he said that nothing was wrong. Then Cristina told the teachers and the Director so that they could help him. Miguel Ángel has health problems and he always wets himself. The Doctor said it is because he doesn’t receive enough love from his mother, only from his father. However his father is very elderly and isn’t able to care for Miguel Ángel properly.

Name: Gladys
Profession: Social Worker

Gladys’ role in CENIT is as a social worker for the programmes ESTAR and Kinder. She is also the coordinator of the bio-psycho social department. In this role, she collaborates with the department known as ‘MIFAMI’, giving talks on how to improve family relationships and motivating parents to get involved in their children’s education. Gladys also works a few hours in Rosa Virginia (the secondary school) giving classes on work law.

Gladys is from the Bolívar province, she moved to Quito 19 years ago for higher education. She comes from a large family; she has eight older brothers and sisters. Her family have good human values and religious and moral principles.

Gladys was a volunteer in CENIT 16 years ago and during this time she met Edwin who was also a volunteer at CENIT. They fell in love and decided to start a family; they now have a three-year-old son and they have been married for 15 years.

Name: Marlon Daniel
Profession: General services & Kitchen Assistant

Marlon comes from the Machala Province. He has worked in CENIT for 2 months and he is living in Quito at the moment for work and for his studies. His parents are supporting him with his studies. Marlon moved to Quito nine years ago for school, then he moved back to Machala for secondary school and after finishing he moved to Quito for higher education. Marlon is happy with his work and for being able to achieve a better future for himself.

Marlon has developed good relationships with his colleagues here in CENIT. He is patient with all the children and especially with one disruptive boy who is in level two.

Name: Silvia Patricia
Profession: General Services and Kitchen

Patricia is a woman who has experienced many difficult situations in her life. As a child she was in a car accident and suffered permanent damage to her right leg and she also suffered some brain damage and therefore has difficulty coordinating her ideas. Patricia had four sons, but she was unable to look after them due to her health problems. All her sons were moved to a care home and they will be there until they reach 18. Currently Patricia works hard at CENIT as a general member of staff and also as a member of the Kitchen staff. She has a lot of love for the children at the centre.