It’s a day like any other in your elementary school. Your mom wakes you up, prepares breakfast, and gets everything ready for you to go to school. Nothing seems out of the ordinary, everything seems normal, but little by little you realize that you are different from your classmates in certain ways: you always need to be doing something, you get bored easily and, when you have to present in front of the class, you feel overwhelmed. For you, this is part of your everyday life, something you have learned to live with.
One day, a teacher calls your mother and suggests that you take a test. You answer that test without giving it much thought. Soon after, the results confirm what no one had noticed before: you have ADHD.
From that moment on, everything changes. Teachers begin to look at you differently as if you don’t fit in at school. Comments such as “Go start drawing because you don’t know how to do anything else” or “Don’t include him in important activities because he doesn’t behave” become part of your daily routine.
Your parents, concerned, talk to the school administration, but the answer is discouraging. If you are not referred to a Special Education school, you will not be able to continue studying there or anywhere else.
That night, you overhear your parents talking in anguish. They discover that most Special Education schools in Mexico are inaccessible because of their high costs. Uncertainty and despair take hold of them.
After a tireless search, they find a place called “Transforming Lives with CARES,” a completely free Special Education program designed to help children with various conditions to develop their independence with the support of specialized professionals.
This program was born in the Oblate Mission in Tijuana, helping special children who were mistreated by those who did not know how to treat them well.
Without hesitation, they registered you, and thanks to this, you can continue your primary education without fear of being rejected or marginalized.
This is the story of Joan, a student who was on the verge of losing his right to education because of his condition. However, thanks to CARES, he will not only be able to continue studying, but also he will learn to manage his ADHD and develop his independence.
Like Joan, hundreds of children in public schools face the same issue. Many institutions require students with special needs to attend specialized schools, but most of these centers do not provide the attention they promise, leaving children without quality and dignified service.
CARES provides the best free education personalized to the needs of each child. It also offers psychological care and support workshops for parents, where they can share their experiences, vent, and find companionship. In addition to that, Fr. Jesse Esqueda, OMI, attends regularly to give motivational and spiritual talks, offering hope and guidance to families.
More and more public and private schools are showing interest in collaborating with the Oblates of Mary Immaculate through CARES. With this agreement, hundreds of children will be able to receive the support they need and overcome the challenges of their conditions.
Also, thanks to this combined effort, CARES´students will be able to obtain their elementary, middle or high school certificates, allowing them to advance in their education and achieve their goals.
Thank you for being part of the Tijuana Oblate Family.
Your support and prayers make a difference in their lives!
Leave a Reply