The Lightkeeper Daycare

This program was inaugurated  in memory of Ben McKinnon, son to the Foundation’s two founders, who had grown close to the families and children of the community over several years as the Foundation’s documentary filmmaker.

The Lightkeeper Daycare – la guardería El Cuidador de la Luz  – offers early child learning to the youngest members of the Los Jardines community. One of the more recent additions to the Hub of Hope, the daycare welcomed its first enrolment in March 2018.

Today, the daycare provides a nurturing environment for toddlers to be introduced to the first wrung on the ladder of education by “learning through play.” At the time of a child’s enrolment into the daycare, a medical file is opened for them at the Hub’s health centre next door, allowing for monitoring and follow-ups. These children are automatically screened for parasites as part of the Foundation’s STOP program. 

It serves the families living in close proximity to the Hub of Hope.

In close partnership with the Sewing Centre:

Many enrolled in the program are also mothers and often have no choice but to bring their children to the sewing centre with them during class hours. With no one to care for their children at home, it had become evident that a daycare would greatly alleviate the pressures experienced by many. This childcare centre will make it possible for the women to focus class time on developing their sewing skills, while their children are provided with a more structured learning environment.