Escuela Móvil, Queretaro
There is an international reality on many streets throughout the world. Children and teenagers live on the streets to help provide for their families or to escape abusive homes. Unfortunately their rights and needs are seldom met and many are subjected to danger, submission to drugs, human trafficking, and other harsh treatment and conditions. As a result, an organization known as Mobile School was created in Belgium to develop this mobile school cart and train local street workers. Since 1996, it has developed 36 mobile schools in the 21 countries spread across Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe. This world-wide ministry was introduced to the Congregation of Divine Providence (CDP) in México by their Affiliate from Colombia, Jessika Martínez. Our Sisters in México felt compelled to seize the opportunity to advocate for the children living on the streets close to them.
Sisters Elizabeth Carrasco and María Guadalupe “Lupita” Silva joined Jessika’s efforts to find a sponsor for this ministry. Alvida QRO, a non-profit food bank in Querétaro, decided to add this ministry to their program under the condition that the CDP group took full responsibility of its operation. On April 12, 2013 they began the mobile ministry, Escuela Móvil, in the city of Querétaro, where the regional motherhouse is located.
The ministry involves taking a large fully equipped fold out cart on wheels that includes chalkboards, panels, simple games and writing supplies to the streets of the city. The Sisters and their volunteers transport the cart to two different locations in downtown Querétaro four times a week. Upon arrival, they roll the cart off the truck and pull it to their prime location and set up “shop”. Many children and teens who live on the streets come to visit, talk, seek help with school work and interact with them. Even young unwed mothers come by regularly to hear words of advice. Many have become regulars who gravitate to the cart for warmth, attention, companionship, and sometimes “tough love” lessons, all which constitute a break from their hardship lives.
The growth and success stories witnessed by the Escuela Móvil volunteers inspires them to continue. The following is an example of the fruit of their labor and ministry:
“This pair of siblings has been attending Escuela Móvil for the past three years. They go daily, regardless of time, weather, many adversities faced and survived through their daily lives. The very happy pair always smile at life – even though life does not always smile back at them.
The sister is smart, very capable of many things and possesses incredible motivation. She is motivated to overcome the temptation and the difficulty of the street. She advises others to stay clean and to remain on task. Her dream is to become a lawyer and her challenge is to not fall prey to drugs. Her brother is intelligent, happy and gifted at chess. The defense mechanisms that he is forced to possess on the streets make him appear a little rough on the outside. Once you get to know him, there is no question he is tender on the inside.”
They are both an inspiration and motivation. They recently showed their Escuela Móvil teachers their primary (school) certificate obtained through diligence and hard work and effort and a strong desire to improve. Now they are studying daily to meet the next challenge – obtaining their secondary certificate! For Sister Ely Carrasco, Sister Lupita Silva and their volunteers, these and many other sacred stories lived on street make their work with Escuela Móvil worthwhile.