Mano Amiga Catholic Schools in Mexico

Population: 122.3 million
Percent Below Poverty Line: 52.3%

Mano Amiga was founded in Mexico to bring a higher level of education that is rich in Catholicism to impoverished areas of the country. Since founding, 22 schools have opened in Mexico alone. Those 22 schools in total provide an education for over 15,000 students and give jobs to 1,200 people. Mano Amiga graduates have gone on to become doctors, lawyers, dentists, business professionals, loving parents and involved members of the community. More than 85% of Mano Amiga students proceed to institutes of higher learning; 83% of graduates are formally employed.

Donate Now

“A teacher affects eternity: he can never tell where his influence stops.”

Mano Amiga Mexico

Mexico confronts serious problems including poverty, violence, corruption, drug trafficking, and social inequality, most of which are rooted in lack of education and opportunity. Mano Amiga grew in response to these problems. Only quality education can bring long-lasting change to the country. Read about some of the Mano Amiga campuses in Mexico here.

Mano Amiga Acapulco

Students: 765
Founded: 2001
Location: Guerrero, Mexico

Mano Amiga Acapulco is located in one of the poorest and most violent communities in the country. Parents are desperate for a safe place for their children to learn and grow. Mano Amiga Acapulco is the answer to their prayers.

Mano Amiga Cancun

Students: 875
Founded: 2009
Location: Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico

Located just miles away from the beach and the tourist district, Mano Amiga Cancun serves the students and families of the surrounding region. Cancun is the most popular tourist destination in the Caribbean, but many of the local residents grapple with poverty. Mano Amiga provides high quality, Catholic education in a loving, family-like environment.

Mano Amiga Chalco

Students: 949
Founded: 1993
Location: Valle de Chalco, Solaridad, Mexico

Mano Amiga Chalco was founded in response to a visit from Pope St. John Paul II in 1990. He urged the people to take care of their youth, and the people of Chalco responded. The school was built as 3 preschools, and has now grown to include every grade! Mano Amiga Chalco has matriculated over 10 graduating classes. 70% of the students go on to study in universities and technical schools.

Mano Amiga Conkal

Students: 404
Founded: 2005
Location: Conkal, Merida, Mexico

Mano Amiga Conkal was founded after Hurricane Isidore hit Mexico in 2005. Mano Amiga is a comprehensive education center where children and young people in need receive the tools necessary to become successful people. Mano Amiga Conkal accomplishes this by meeting the poorest families’ needs and forming them spiritually, intellectually, socially, and on a human level.

Mano Amiga La Cima

Students: 423
Founded: 1991
Location: La Cima, Mexico

Mano Amiga La Cima is a fantastic school with lots of beautiful and hardworking students. Several years ago, the school’s fencing was damaged by Hurricane Alex. As a result, the school was exposed to gangs who vandalized it constantly. Your generosity allowed Mano Amiga La Cima to rebuild its focus!

Mano Amiga Monterrey

Students: 950
Founded: 1974
Location: Monterrey, Mexico

Mano Amiga Monterrey serves students grades Pre-K through high school. Because of limited space, students attend school in shifts: boys in the morning and girls in the afternoon. The average student at Mano Amiga Monterrey has approximately 50% of their tuition covered by scholarships—provided by donors like you!

Mano Amiga Morelia

Students: 620
Founded: 2009
Location: Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico

Morelia, one of the richest and most densely populated cities in Mexico, has the highest kidnapping rate in the country. While the government cracks down on cartels and crime, one of the best ways for children and their families to escape these horrible situations is through education. Mano Amiga Morelia is one of the safe havens that helps children and their families escape the cycle of poverty that perpetuates such crime.

Mano Amiga Puebla

Students: 776
Founded: 2006
Location: Puebla, Mexico

Our own Deacon Rick Medina got to visit Mano Amiga Puebla in 2013. He was able to give out full-year scholarships, meet a widowed mother of two and hear her story of hope, and learn about other needs at the school. Mano Amiga Puebla has a high percentage of special needs students, whom they are finding creative ways to teach and serve.

Mano Amiga Querétaro

Students: 595
Founded: 2005
Location: Querétaro, Mexico

In Querétaro, many families are poor and can’t afford to send their children to school. The average student at Querétaro has 64% of their tuition provided by partners, benefactors, and donors like you! Mano Amiga Querétaro serves children in the community as well as their families.

Mano Amiga Santa Catarina

Students: 850
Founded: 1989
Location: Santa Catarina, Mexico

CWM Executive Director Deacon Rick Medina got to visit Mano Amiga Santa Catarina in 2013. There, he was greeted by students, faculty, parents, and the greater community. One of the families Deacon Rick got to meet was Javier and his wife, who have 4 children. Two are grown and work as an industrial engineer and psychologist, respectively. The younger two are still in school at MA Santa Catarina. They say going to school here is worth the daily 3-mile-long walk!

Mano Amiga Tapachula

Students: 774
Founded: 2006
Location: Tapachula, Mexico

Quality education is badly needed in Tapachula. There, about 75% of the population lives in poverty. 18 out of 100 people can’t read or write, and most drop out from school after 7th grade. Thanks to your generosity, 98% of Mano Amiga Tapachula’s students are given scholarships, making it possible for them to beat the odds. Thank you for all you do!

Mano Amiga Tijuana

Students: 192
Founded: 2008
Location: Baja California, Mexico

Known as Mexico’s fifth largest metropolitan area, Tijuana remains a major cultural, municipal, and commercial center. The Mano Amiga School lies on the outskirts of this urban hub in a neighborhood familiar with underdevelopment and poverty.

Through the aid of Catholic World Mission, 100 percent of the school’s enrollment are granted scholarships. Because of the steadily increasing population, however, many families are still waiting to be granted enrollment and scholarship to the school.

Mano Amiga Zomeyucan

Students: 511
Founded: 1963
Location: San Antonio Zomeyucan, Mexico

Mano Amiga Zomeyucan was the first Mano Amiga School to be founded by the Legionaries of Christ in 1963. It started with 14 students in preschool whose parents were determined for them to have Catholic education. Today, the school has grown to include over 511 students, and international serves students in nine countries! Mano Amiga Zomeyucan laid the foundation for 22,000 students and it is still expanding thanks to your generosity.

November 2019 – CWM’s own Stephanie Quinlan visits Mano Amiga Cancun

Stephanie recently visited Mano Amiga Cancun, where she got to meet students, teachers, and administrators. See photos from her visit below.

Spring 2019 – Deacon Rick Visits Mano Amiga Cancun

Deacon Rick Medina, Catholic World Mission Executive Director, recently visited Mano Amiga Cancun! Take a look at photos from his trip.

3 Mano Amiga schools graduate their first classes of high school seniors

The first students to complete high school at Mano Amiga Guadalajara, Mano Amiga Puebla, and Mano Amiga Torreón are on to the next step in their bright futures. Take a moment to pray for these amazing trailblazers!

Mano Amiga Guadalajara

Mano Amiga Puebla

Mano Amiga Torreón

First class of Mano Amiga Torreon high school graduates

March 2018 – Mano Amiga Conkal

As a direct result of your generosity during the 2017 Back to School campaign, MA Conkal was able to buy 50 new desks for its students! Click through the pictures below to see the new desks, as well as some photos of the little ones making arts and crafts at their new desks. Thank you for your generous giving to these schools–you make it possible every day for students in the poorest parts of the world to receive quality education!

Click through the carousel of images below to see the fruits of your generosity!

2015 – Mano Amiga Tapachula

Thanks to your generosity in 2014, Mano Amiga Tapachula was able to build a new high school facility! Take a look at the photos below to see the various stages of construction progress.

Help a Child Today

For students from poor families, going to school is a luxury their families may not be able to afford. Thousands of Mano Amiga students rely on the donations of generous donors like you to be able to go to school. Please, give now, and help end the cycle of poverty when you make it possible for a poor child to receive a quality education.

Please help secure sponsorships for 25 first grade students this year.