Street-wise sisters on a roll

Image: A young Escuela Móvil student is proud of his work, and Sister Ely Carrasco, C.D.P. is just as proud of him. The Sisters of Divine Providence in Mexico show up at the city’s outdoor market, Mercado El Tepe, on the same day every week. 

For the poorest children in Querétaro, Mexico, education is often a low priority. Hunger, violence, drugs, and family problems can consume most of their attention. Enter the Sisters of Divine Providence and their Escuela Móvil (“School on Wheels”). The Sisters—who minister in Texas and Mexico—and a cadre of volunteers bring a series of large educational bulletin boards and games six days a week to a place where homeless and very poor children gather. The sisters and volunteers play, read stories, and get to know the children. Their effort is part of an international movement of mobile schools founded in Belgium and sponsored locally in Querétaro by the food bank ALVIDA.

A primary goal of this unconventional school is simple: to build relationships. With a bond in place, the sisters hope they can begin to address the many needs of these children and their families and be the face of Jesus in their lives. 

Mandy Ortiz of the Sisters of Divine Providence contributed to this report.