Yachay
Children's Education
About Yachay
Yachay, a Quechua word meaning knowledge, is Intiwawa's children's after-school educational program, created to support students in Mollebaya. Many children return from school to empty houses as their parents work long hours, and others accompany their parents to work out of necessity. To meet this need, the Yachay program works with over 65 children in Mollebaya each year, offering a safe, supportive space where children can learn, rest, and be cared for after school.
How Program Works
Yachay operates as an after-school program that combines academic support, skill-building, and daily nourishment. Each afternoon, students recieve one hour of homework support, where teachers help reinforce what children are learning in school and provide individualized attention. This is followed by one hour of structured learning focused on communication skills, mathematics, and English.
Academic Support Project
Every afternoon, Mondays through Fridays, the children come to Casa Intiwawa in Mollebaya to do their homework with the support of our volunteers and teacher.
The children also receive daily learning sessions that build on and bridge gaps in the children’s learning at school, with classes in the areas of Mathematics, Communications and English.
We have recently incorporated Project-Based Learning, to promote teamwork, autonomy, empathy, and communication and leadership skills. We want to bring innovation to our education program by making sure our students' interests, skills, ideas and feelings are valued, to create learning spaces that can reinforce their academic and interpersonal skills, self-esteem and emotional intelligence. By focusing on the children’s soft skills, we help them develop the life skills that will empower them to improve the quality of life of their families and communities.
Parents’ School
The Parents' School project was born out of the need to work hand in hand with parents in order to support them with the various educational, social and health problems their families are confronted with. Parents attend monthly training sessions organized by our psychologist. These mandatory sessions are centered around healthy parenting styles and different approaches to supporting and caring for children, as well as positive discipline. Alongside this, the parents also have an opportunity to talk with the volunteers to teach their children about any academic or behavioral issues that may have arisen.