In San Felipe, it is mandatory for a child to have a specific school uniform and school supplies to attend public school. Without these items, they are simply not permitted to attend school.
The cost of living is high in San Felipe, with grocery prices comparable to the U.S. and electricity rates higher than most U.S. cities. Many families are living in pallet homes (literally built out of pallets) built on condemned land, sleeping on dirt floors and lack the simple luxuries in life like running water, electricity and plumbing.
With the recent ban on fishing in the Sea of Cortez for 2 years, many of the already struggling families have had their livelihood completely eliminated. If a local is fortunate enough to obtain employment, the average wage is $70/week and consists of working 8-12 hours per day, 6 days per week.
As Breaking the Cycle of Poverty recently wrote, it will cost a family approximately $40 USD to purchase all of the school supplies needed for one child to attend school. By obtaining an education, it will give a child the opportunity he/she needs to break the cycle of generational poverty and choose a different path for their future.
Our goal is to provide a private school option for the impoverished people of San Felipe and show them how Christ and a good education can make the difference for their future. The school will follow the self-sustainable model where food is grown in a garden utilizing the limited water in a drip irrigation system. We will also provide livestock that can be used for food and offspring sold for income purposes. Once fully established, we will use this model for a secondary school and trade school to transition out-of-work fishermen and women into a marketable trade for income.
Nehemiah Fund 