The Martha Estrella Foundation was awarded by the government of Ecuador, developing and managing nine children development centers in Calderon, northwest of Quito, attending more than 350 children.

How Project Calderon Started 

in October 2008, the Martha Estrella Foundation presented to the government a proposal to establish and operate several children development centers, in multiple suburban areas located in the northwest of Quito, targetting families from the lowest economic conditions. The proposal required an initial census, identifying "each" of the children and their respective families, who would benefit from the development centers, to ensure we were truly helping in areas with significant needs.

Along with our foundation, more than 1,200 other non-profit organization competed for 360 projects across the country. We finished the contest as one of the top five non-profit organizations selected, allowing us to turn Project Calderon into reality. The agreement with the government involves the establishment and daily operation of nine children development centers for five years, with an total estimated bugdet of $1.25 million.

To bring Project Calderon to life we assembled a dedicated and multidisciplinary leadership team of professionals in education, children pshycology, healthcare and nutrition, and went through a very detailed recruitment and training process of volunteering mothers who are responsible for the daily operation of the centers.

In almost one year of operation, Project Calderon has been a total success, setting best practices and methodologies for other non-profit organizations.

2009-2010 Challenges 

Despite the government support, which barely covers food, basic equipment for the centers, leasing costs of the facilities where the centers operate, and minimum operational cost of the leadership team, there are still significant needs that we would like to address such as:

• Funding to build permanent centers with optimal infrastructure, eliminating the dependency and cost for renting properties
• Establishing an ongoing fund for educational material required to develop children's skills and to train the volunteering mothers
• Augmenting the centers with a medical room for preventive care and nutrition & development control

See photos of Project Calderon here: Photo Gallery - Project Calderon 

If you are interested in helping us to address these challenges please contact us at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it