• 81% 
  of adults lack adequate employment
• School drop-out rates soar 35% above the national average
• Approximately 75% of the population lives at or below the poverty line. 

Building Dignity enables the community to challenge poverty through three core program areas:

1. Community Education: Offering academic and recreational opportunities to children, youth and adults
2. The Leadership Academy: Empowering community members to become vehicles of social change
3. Leadership Grants: Supporting local proposals for neighborhood development and providing technical assistance to help citizens implement successful projects.

In 2009, we built the Center for Development with Dignity in Lomo de Corvina, which houses Building Dignity's programs and serves as a vibrant community space and resource center for the neighborhood. 

The Tenets of Building Dignity
Building Dignity is guided by three principles that comprise our philosophy of development with dignity.

1. Leadership Program Catalyzes Preschool Roof Project

   In 2011, neighborhood leader Betty Lozano faced a vexing problem: the roof of the preschool had collapsed, but the families could not afford the $3,600 replacement cost. Supported by training and $1,300 in seed money from Building Dignity, Betty assembled a coalition of business leaders, a former mayor and 25 families to fully fund the project. In October 2012, 60 children returned to school under a new roof.

   Initiative + Support = Results.

   We build partnerships based on complementary skills. We encourage community members to contribute their unique talents to our work and celebrate the role their contribution plays in the growth of the organization.
2. We develop family-managed community space. By housing a family on the second floor, we ensure that the Center for Development with Dignity will always actively serve the community.
3. We empower neighborhood leaders. Lomo de Corvina has come a long way by organizing on behalf of its needs. We strengthen the community by training and motivating new generations of local leaders, an essential step in fighting poverty. 

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