Fellow: Blanca Estela Gardea

Grant Year: 2018

City: San Luis Potosí, Mexico

Job Title: Training Coordinator

Organization: Comité Ciudadano Unificador de Esfuerzos

Project title: For the Wellbeing of Women Heads of Households

Project summary: Almost 1/3 of households in San Luis Potosí are led by women single-parent heads of the household. About half of these women have either never received formal education or have only a few years of schooling. Single, uneducated mothers are much more likely to live in poverty. Many of the nearly 200,000 single mothers in the state are eligible for government subsidies but are not accessing those benefits. This is due to the lack of awareness of the subsidy program’s existence and eligibility requirements, in addition to the cumbersome application process that is difficult to navigate. This project will advocate with the State Family Welfare System to ensure that specific changes are made in the application processes and so that eligible single mothers know where and how to apply for these benefits. The success of this project would have a huge impact on the lives of single mothers and their children by guaranteeing that children of single mothers have enough to eat, attend school, and have the opportunity to live a healthy and happy life.