Manos Unidas is a legally registered Peruvian Non-Profit Organization founded in 2008 who founded the first and only private/non-for-profit school for Special Education in Cusco, el "Centro de Educacion Basica Especial Particular "Camino Nuevo" (2009).
Mission
To maximize the abilities and potential of individuals with developmental disabilities through a humanistic, personalized education with clear attainable goals and strict follow up, honoring such principals as respect, justice and tolerance for all community members.
Vision
To improve the quality of life of individuals with developmental disabilities in Cusco, facilitating successful inclusion within families, regular education schools and vocational settings, in order to live freely in a more just society and be treated with equal opportunities.
FOUNDERS
Celeste Nicole Marion
Originally from Seattle, Washington and has been in Peru since 2004 working with children with disabilities. She has a psychology degree from the University of Washington (2003) with an emphasis in child development and has worked with children with autism and behavior disorders for 9 years. Her love for international travel and adventure landed her in South America where challenge met aspiration and inspired the creation of Manos Unidas several years later with long time friend Mercedes Delgado.
Rosa Mercedes Delgado Chávez
Born and raised in Cusco, Peru, Mercedes is an active leader in the education field in her own community. A graduate from the Universidad Feminina (UNIFE ) in Lima, Peru in elementary education, she has taught public special education for 12 years, is certified in speech and language disorders and has received many certificates for continuing education in the field. She has a passion for her work and a vision to bring a center like Manos Unidas to life in Cusco.
With an average of 10 students by mid-year we, as teachers and founders, made just enough to pay for our transportation each day. Since this was an afternoon program all three of us worked full time jobs in the morning, and some at night to be able to support ourselves. We invested in the project in the afternoon, knowing that time and dedication would pay off in the future. By the end of the year we had 16 students and a growing reputation.
Due to the reputation of our educational center and the demand we had from many parents, we worked day and night to present our proposal to the Ministry of Education of Cusco, Peru to open as an official school. We were approved on December 31, 2008
OUR HISTORY
Our first classroom
Why we decided to start this project
We, as founders, have spent many years working within the established educational centers for people with special needs in the Cusco region. Within the current reality of Peruvian special education facilities you will find over crowded classrooms, unattended children, unprepared teachers, callous attitudes and stale educational systems (just to start). We decided to produce a new perspective on special education - one that claims that special needs children can become effective members of their communities with the right type of support and education on all levels - and prove to a society that it could be accomplished.
Playing in our patio the first year
How we did it
The process of our establishment developed from combining professional knowledge, borrowed furniture from various family members and friends, a suitcase of toys and learning materials from the Seattle Goodwill, a bit of out of pocket investment, a big living room divided by bookcases in the founder’s house and a passion to thrive. We opened our doors March 1, 2007.
The Begining
We felt excited but anxious the first two months as we struggled to promote our center, receiving new students, convincing parents that quality individualized education where change and growth was visible existed and that our program was worth their time and monetary investment. We began our first week with 2 students and worked with an average of 5-7 students for the first 6 months continually monitoring and evaluating our efforts and quality of services. Like any business, reputation builds with success and can be a very slow process. However, that did not last long . . .
A few of our first students
Growing . . .
Students enjoying a theater workshop at summer school
Inclusive summer school
We started a summer program in January, 2008, inviting all children in the community to participate in fun workshops that integrated our students with typically developing students in music, dance, art, drama and swimming classes two days a week and intensive education classes for our students three days a week. This six week program drew a lot of publicity for our center with an average of 30 kids in attendance on workshop days. The community began to learn about us and the parents of our students began to spread the word, our reputation was finally growing. We had some of our mothers asking for various fliers advertising the school to pass out to friends and acquaintances. We started the school year in March, 2008 with 24 students!
Summer school students in ceramics class
March, 2008
2008 started great, we were confident, we had many students, we had hired two teachers, had two practicum students from an education institute working with us, everyone was making at least a little bit to take home and new faces continued to ring the door bell on a weekly basis. We were gaining a reputation for a center that could provide quality education to even the most difficult students, had well trained staff and devotion to our purpose.
Leading up to Camino Nuevo
March, 2007 – March, 2009 Manos Unidas functioned as a private educational center which provided many challenges. We we the first center in the region that attempted to open as a private facility, charging parents an average of $45 a month for quality education. Our income covered minimal wages, utility bills and small investments for the center. We tried to receive all children regardless of their ability to pay. During this time we did not receive outside support.
. . . .
March 3, 2009 we opened the doors of Centro de Educacion Basica Especial "Camino Nuevo" , the first federally recognized private school for special education that provides educational opportunities for all families regardless of their ability to pay.
