Hotel Con Corazón is an impact hotel for conscious travellers. This hotel operates as sustainable as possible and promotes responsible travel. But most importantly it’s a hotel with a heart, a message and a cause.
A number of students, Onno Oostveen (founder) and Linda.
The quality of education is very poor at public schools in Latin America. 50% of all students does not finish school. Escaping from the poverty cycle is really difficult in this way. When you stay with Hotel con Corazón you help create a brighter future for the youth of Oaxaca (Mexico) and Granada (Nicaragua). 75% of their profits is invested in local education. Funding education through tourism is an incredible successful concept to help children in rural areas.
The Oaxaca Learning Center
The Oaxaca Learning Center is an association whose actions are aimed at positively influencing young people so that they can develop academically, personally and professionally. This counters the problem of school dropouts, social disintegration, poverty and structural violence.
Starting in 2005 this association has supported more than 7,500 students with workshops, courses, English lessons, academic tutoring, computer use and psychological support. In recent years, they have also integrated topics such as entrepreneurship, personal finance, resilience and emotional intelligence.
Necessary expansion needed
In April 2023, the project “Expansion of the physical infrastructure of the Oaxaca Learning Center location” started with the following goals:
Improving the quality of education and training support for young students in a socially disadvantaged situation.
Directly and indirectly increasing the annual number of participants.
Creating 6 rooms for academic tutoring, English lessons and workshops; a computer room, enough space for psychological support and a bathroom.
When the computer room is ready, the computers will be made available for:
Students to do their homework, research and print their schoolwork.
“Office automation” courses for students and parents.
Educational software to bring technology closer to students.
The heart of Hotel con Corazón in Oaxaca.
Collaboration
Collaborating with Pack for a Purpose offers school utensils, but doesn't help to pay for the scholarships or to renew old computers.
A fundraising campaign is launched for the purchase of 15 computers, headphones with a microphone for online lessons, 15 no-breaks, a beamer, a printer, and a WiFi Access Point to provide internet to all computers.
What about supporting the Oaxaca Learning Center through Foundation XPLORid by purchasing the first computer?
Hotel con Corazón has also started a crowdfunding campaign to help with the computer lab. To pay for school costs, school registration fees and materials.
After Oaxaca we visited Granada
In Granada we supported Hotel con Corazón by buying a second hand laptop. The one they were using was very old and wasn't working properly anymore. Students from the universiteit are helping the hotel once a week. During their visit they can use the laptop. On Monday and Wednesday other students from high school come to use this laptop as well to do their homework.
Together with Manager Chris at the reception in Granada.
F.l.t.r.: students Adriana, Celeste, Nataly, Fergie, and university students David and Anielka.
By chance, the founder of the hotel, Onno Oostveen, was staying as well at Hotel con Corazón when we visited Granada.
The aim is to create a chain of these kind of impact hotels.
In 2028 a new location in Costa Rica is ready and there are plans to create a second location in Mexico.
Go on vacation and give support
Are you going on vacation to Mexico or Central America? Bring some school utensils with you to one of these hotels. More information can be found on the website of Pack for a Purpose. Or support Foundation XPLORid on our multi-year educational projects in Guatemala. Not able to support money wise, but still wanting to support? Sharing this blog on your social media is highly appreciated.
