Pies Pequeños (Little Feet) is our newest program. During Covid the factories shut down for a while and when they reopened, shifts were not full time. The main hospital used by the factory workers was filled with Covid patients. A woman expecting a baby had the choice of delivering her baby at no cost at the hospital full of Covid patients, or paying for a private hospital with a decreased salary. If she had a high-risk pregnancy, this decision was even more difficult. Paying for diapers once the baby was born was overwhelming. Manos Amigas supported these new babies with a stipend for diapers and wipes.
The core team in Anapra/Poleo saw value in the program and wanted to continue after Covid. Starting in November 2021, Pies Pequeños provides a monthly stipend for diapers and wipes for babies up to 18 months old. It also provides a support group and early childhood education for the parents. Once a month, parents and babies will meet to learn and discuss topics such as colic, nutrition, safety, play and language.
The Kansas City core team provides resources and materials for the monthly sessions and money for the monthly stipends. Two of the young moms in Anapra/Poleo facilitate the group. One is a graduate from nursing school and scholarship alum; the other is an engineering college student currently in the scholarship program.
The Manos Amigas mission to the elderly includes financial assistance from donors in the US to cover winter heating needs, Christmas food baskets, and medical concerns. Nights from November to February in Anapra are often below freezing. These temperatures are difficult to manage in homes with no insulation and no central heat. Our program provides firewood and propane that the abuelas use in stoves to stay warm. Several of our current abuelas have significant medical challenges and other special needs such as diabetes, epilepsy, blindness, inability to walk. We support and help where we can.
Within Anapra/Poleo, Manos Amigas families “adopt” the abuelas. Families regularly visit these elderly neighbors, delivering firewood and food, and checking on their safety. More than anything, these families provide much needed community support and connection.