PAYE: an organization committed to the children of Loíza

Tanisha Desiree Gaspar Clemente is a young Loiceña committed to the children and youth of her community. She studied elementary education at the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus. She had the illusion that, upon graduation, she would get to offer the Social Studies course to the fourth through sixth-grade students in her neighborhood.

However, in 2018, her professional career took a turn, and she became a co-founder of Piñones Aprende y Emprende (PAYE), a non-profit organization of which she is also the Executive Director. "I consider this experience as a life project. It gives me satisfaction to know that I can help others improve those skills they need to maximize," she said.

The purpose of PAYE is to provide tutoring, workshops, and experiences to the children, youth, and community of Piñones in the municipality of Loíza. This project arose after the passage of Hurricane Maria and the closure of the Emiliano Figueroa Torres community school.

At that time, "in Piñones, there was no service or programming for the children to do something productive after school. We had been told they would make a digital library, but it didn't happen. We had been told that the elementary school would not be closed, and they closed it, so there was nothing. Our president did a needs study, and from that, we identified the neighbors' interest in tutoring services," she recalled.

"I feel very proud of what has been achieved so far and, above all, to see that, through me, other young people understand that you don't have to be 50 years old to do what they want and dream of. That is the little seed that I am gradually leaving on the road and that I know will later reap many fruits," he said.

PAYE provides tutoring, workshops, and experiences to the children, youth, and community of Piñones, facilitating the development and access to necessary educational tools. For several consecutive years, ConPRmetidos supported PAYE in the academic reinforcement of reading and writing. In 2023, we supported its Community Program, through which the organization offers conversational English, art, and literacy workshops, among other topics requested by community members.