When we walked into CANICA’s community center in Oaxaca, the atmosphere was instantly comforting. One child was giggling with friends, another group was bent over their homework, and a few others were quietly sharing fruit at a small table. The space felt lived-in and familiar, resembling the kind of place where children naturally settle in, like visiting a trusted family member after school.

This warmth is especially meaningful when you consider where many of these children spend their days. In Oaxaca, it’s common for kids to spend long hours on the streets, selling small goods, accompanying working parents, or waiting outside shops until adults finish their shifts. The streets become their second classroom, but one without guidance, routine, or safety.

For more than three decades, CANICA has stepped into that gap, offering children a place where they are known by name and cared for with intention: 

• 🏠A second home between school and the streets: A warm, familiar space where children can rest, learn, play, and feel genuinely seen and welcomed.

  
  

• 🍽️ Nutrition with purpose: Balanced, low-sugar meals designed by nutritionists to help children grow well and build healthy habits for life. 

  
  

• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Strengthening families, not just children: Education, counseling, and emotional support for parents so home environments become more stable and supportive.

  
  

To deepen the support CANICA offers, GM Children Foundation sponsored a part-time computer teacher (USD 3,200) dedicated to building children’s digital skills. Through regular STEAM-based classes, the teacher introduces basic coding and digital tools, supports homework using technology, and designs activities that spark creativity and problem-solving. For children who spend much of their time on the streets, this access to a computer room, structured lessons, and a patient adult who guides them becomes a doorway to digital literacy.