Safe Passage (safepassage.org) provides educational opportunities and support to the children of families working at Guatemala City’s garbage dump. Founded in 1999, the organization enables hundreds of children to attend public school each year by covering the cost of enrollment, supplies, and uniforms. Because many of the children are the first in their families to attend school, Safe Passage’s Educational Reinforcement Center offers them additional guidance and homework help for part of each day, as well as a hot meal, medical care, and sports and arts activities. The organization’s Escuelita program gives children ages 1 to 5 a safe and educational place to stay while their parents are working around the dump.
Each charity we feature has earned a four-star overall rating from Charity Navigator, which ranks not-for-profit organizations on the strength of their finances, their control of administrative and fund-raising expenses, and the transparency of their operations. Four stars is the group’s highest ranking.
