Nearly four hundred girls attend the Secretariado Social de Soacha, a vocational school whose mission is to “educate women in an integral fashion in order to strengthen the family core, better its quality of life, and influence families and society by transmitting values and culture.” The girls, between 6 and 18 years old and from low and lower-middle socio-economic backgrounds, graduate having mastered a trade that allows them to find employment in the service sector, particularly in the hotel and restaurant business.

In a city where the unemployment rate is above 15 percent, nine out of ten girls who graduate from the Secretariado obtain jobs either immediately upon graduation or after pursuing higher education. While many of the girls begin their education at Secretariado suffering from nutritional deficiencies, exhibiting significant educational gaps and violent behavior, their years at Secretariado enable them to achieve fulfilling, productive lives. After graduation, many of these young women return and share their life-altering experiences with the school. Thirty percent of graduates go on to university; 40 percent to technical school, 20 percent become employed, and 10 percent start their own homes upon graduation. A high number of Secretariado graduates come back to work at the school or in nearby educational institutions.

The Genesis Foundation provides on-going support for Secretariado Social de Soacha so that it can continue to fulfill its mission of providing under-served young women with the skills and empowerment to improve their lives.

For more information about this institution, or to make a direct contribution, please contact:

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