About Us
Radiant Futures is a nonprofit organization incorporated in the United States and affiliated with Futuros Radiantes Para Los Ninos, a Mexican nonprofit organization. The purpose is to provide a radiant future for orphaned and abandoned children. Radiant Futures is organized to provide welfare and health to the orphaned children of Mexico and Latin America. It is the intent of Radiant Futures to first establish a presence in Mexico. The first group home to house and care for children has been built in the State of Chiapas, Mexico.
It is our intent to continue to care for these children until they have completed their schooling and are prepared to care for themselves in society. Our intent is to help as many children as possible with the resources available to us. The theme of Radiant Futures is Intelligence, Power, Light and Truth. Following this theme, we have developed a program to expose these children to the arts, languages, sciences and sports. Radiant Futures provides a loving home environment that satisfies the necessities of daily life but also provides guidance and instruction that leads toward a more hopeful and productive future.
We believe self-esteem, the desire to progress, to set and achieve goals, and to better one's life is the consequence of the environment in which the child develops. The environment consists of the people available to guide them along with the physical resources. The moral values which the children learn depend on the quality and richness of this environment. The children of Radiant Futures are educated by people who care for their well-being, have a love for them and desire to see them progress. In addition to love and kindness, the children are taught respect and responsibility. They receive instruction in languages, art and music from their first days with us. These teachings help them appreciate the beauty of their world, develop more creativity and enhance their sense of self-worth enabling them to become productive citizens in society. The children are taught their own individual worth and the ability to choose those values that help to build strong character.
The education of the children consists of that provided by private schools, public schools and our own curriculum. Our educational program begins in the children's infancy and continues throughout the years that they are with the foundation. Our curriculum consists of the following:
Language development
We believe that early introduction to various languages contributes to subsequent
language mastery, as well as positively impacting the development of self-esteem.
Our program exposes the children to Spanish, English, French and German through
conversation, music, movies and instruction. We have volunteers who will come
from the United States, Canada and Europe to supplement their studies in this
area.
Development of cultural pursuits
Our program provides a variety of activities that give knowledge and stimulation to
the children. This includes, but is not be limited to, literature, theater, art, music,
dance, and movies. Emphasis is placed on their heritage, and stories of relevant
historical figures are presented. Our goal is to provide positive role-models that will
allow the children to identify with their struggles and accomplishments, thus
strengthening pride in their heritage.
Self-sufficiency
We believe it is important the children learn that they need not be dependent on the
government for their support, but that they should be dependable and self-sufficient. We believe in providing them with responsibilities consistent with their age and
ability, that includes personal family chores as well as opportunities to contribute to the care of the other children in the home. We will provide agricultural projects
where the children can learn to grow their own food and protect the environment.
Programs will also be presented that afford exposure to local trade and business
opportunities.
We provide structure so that our children learn the art and value of self-discipline. At the same time we recognize the importance of unstructured time for development of their own special talents and interests. The major focus of this program is designed to ensure that our children are adequately prepared when they leave the foundation.
Activities
We recognize the important role that activities play in helping children
to develop into responsible adults. Fundamental to coexistence in a group
environment is the ability to deal with others in a caring and respectful
manner. We provide regular activities that allow development of these
important interpersonal skills. A variety of sports and physical activities
are a regular part of each child's program, as well as a nutritionally
balanced diet designed to allow them to grow physically.
We will provide service projects so they feel the joy of helping others and feel a part of the community. We are also developing an outreach program to the local community in an effort to strengthen their involvement and support for Radiant Futures.
Housing and Funding
To house and care for the children, we have constructed a group home to house
twenty-five to thirty children full-time. Included in this building is a kitchen, laundry, dining facilities, study and teaching facilities, recreation room and dormitory. We have built so that the
total facilities can be expanded in later phases to accommodate more children. We
have received a donation of five acres of land from the state government of
Chiapas, Mexico, and from US and Mexican sources the necessary funds to
complete this construction. We have established a budget of $30,000 per year to
cover operating and continued building expenses.
Address
Radiant Futures
2635 Kendalwood Ln
Charlottesville, VA 22911
Phone: 434-326-5733
Phone: 505-404-0957
e-mail: radiantfutures@gmail.com