About Us

The fundación nuestros jóvenes (fnj) is an institution with more than 40 years of volunteer work in care of the most vulnerable groups of the population and runs a humanitarian program made up of several projects.

The largest project of the fnj‘s humanitarian program is the Temporary Shelter San Antonio de Pichincha (Casa de Acogida Temporal San Antonio de Pichincha, CATSAP) that provides accommodation, social, psychological, medical, and legal care to individuals and families in forced mobility. Since it opened its doors in 2018, CATSAP has served more than 110,000 people. CATSAP with the collaboration of World Food Program (WFP) provides 3 meals a day to sheltered people. In this house we have living facilities, toilets, and several complementary spaces such as a library, computer-centre and training rooms that allow courses, conferences and even provide spaces to support productive initiatives.

For the fnj’s humanitarian assistance program, one of the priorities is economic inclusion. That is why the fnj executes Work for Dignity (Trabajo por Dignidad, TxD), the winning initiative of the Quito Inclusive Call of the FonQuito Entrepreneurship Fund financed by the ACNUR in 2022. Its purpose is to link the supply of services for migrants, unemployed, underemployed, and single mothers with a demand that is sensitive to the migratory situation and vulnerability, through the contracting of their occasional services. In support of economic inclusion, the fnj is searching permanently for strategic partners to generate and strengthen entrepreneurship of individuals and families in situations of forced mobility and give them enough capacity for building their lives.

fnj has started this effort in the Stitching with Hearts (Costuras con Corazón, CcC), which provides basic training in cutting, stitching, and sewing for those under forced migration, which combines a trade that now generates economic resources and the therapeutic value of handicrafts. This project is also designed as a space to support the participants owns ventures.

To have an impact on nutrition, improve the diet of our guests and complement their diet, the fnj maintains – A Garden that united us (Un Huerto nos Une, UHNU). This is to produce vegetables without fertilizers. Thanks to UHNU, the fnj also supports families with limited economic resources who are neighbouring the CATSAP to improve their diet by including fresh, healthy vegetables at no cost to them.

The care for the little ones is provided at the Children Centre for Integral Development (Mi Lugar Feliz, MLF), which works with the support of the Foundation of the Americas (FUDELA) and the Hilton Foundation using Montessori methodology. MLF is attended by children from 0 to 5 years old, who receive 3 meals a day, early stimulation, educational, social, emotional and health services.

Since 2015, the fnj has also implemented the Project for the Prevention of Gender-Based Violence (PPVBG), funded by the Ecuadorian Ministry of Women and Human Rights, which has the great challenge of assisting women and children who are victims of violence.