Location: Bogotá, Colombia
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Established in 1937, Jardín Infantil Obrero (JIO) is a day care center for children from two through six years of age from low socio-economic backgrounds. The school seeks to provide its children with a solid moral and intellectual foundation upon which they can develop to become upstanding citizens who value family and society.

The children, most of whom live in the surrounding area of La Perseverancia, one of Bogotá’s poorest neighborhoods, come from dual-income families earning below US$250 per month. Many of them have been displaced by the violence in Colombia’s countryside and have settled in shanty towns throughout the city.

Enrollment at the center is open only to children who would otherwise be left unsupervised because their parents must work outside of the home.  In addition to a Montessori education, the children receive psychological and medical assistance, nutritional meals and engage in recreational activities.  

The day care center is primarily funded through private donations, minimal tuition fees paid by the students’ families, and government support.  Genesis has provided funds for the JIO them since 2004. This recurring grant has been distributed under supervision and technical support of Fundación Inés Elvira, to ensure the long-term sustainability of JIO.

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