About CENIT
The Centro de la Niña Trabajadora (The Center for the Working Girl, CENIT) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization in the south of Quito. It is located right at the heart of some of the lowest-income neighborhoods of the city, where poverty forces many parents to make the difficult decision to send their children into the streets to work instead of to school.
CENIT is a progressive social services organization devoted to helping working children (especially working girls) and their families overcome grinding poverty and improve the quality of their lives through education and job training, nutrition programs, health and social services, psychological help, and recreation. CENIT welcomes people from all religions or creeds. You can see their website at www.cenitecuador.org.
In an area where superstition, rumor, and facts about health are all dispersed indiscriminately, and where government services rarely if ever reach the people who most desperately need them, CENIT is a trusted disseminator of accurate information about health and human rights. It is also a basic provider of medical and social services, and a point of access to educational opportunities. By daily engagement in the lives of women and children in the community, and by understanding the specific health desires and needs of the community, CENIT has become an important and effective social development agent in the capital city of Ecuador.
CENIT was founded in 1991 by the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, a Catholic order, in response to observations that the prevalence of child laborers in Quito had increased greatly due to urban migration, debt crisis, and an increase in poverty. It continues to be directed by the Sisters of the Good Shepard, and is staffed by nearly 40 dedicated and hard-working Ecuadorian professionals and a kaleidoscope of international volunteers varying in age, religion, cultural background, and life experience. CENIT is always looking for motivated, adventurous individuals dedicated to making a difference. If you think that CENIT is an organization in which you would like to be involved, you can find out more about volunteer opportunities by contacting CENIT's volunteer office (in either English or Spanish) at contact@cenitecuador.org.