Who we are and what we provide

The Sisters Of Mary

The Sisters of Mary are devoted to helping the poorest of the poor in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. The religious order was founded by Aloysius Schwartz, the priest of the poor. The Sisters have been operating charitable programs for more than fifty years serving children with the greatest need who have the greatest potential. In 6 countries there are 400 Sisters of Mary caring for over 21,000 children with the mission of helping them break free from a life of poverty. This is one day in the life of a Sister.

Your Support Provides

  • Hope.
  • Clean water.
  • Medical care.
  • Dental care.
  • Three nutritious meals a day.
  • A safe place to live and study.
  • Clothing and school materials.
  • Help to break the cycle of poverty.
  • Spiritual, physical, and emotional care.
  • Vocational training tailored to local industries.
  • Protection from abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
  • Opportunities to participate in sports, music, and art.
  • Spiritual, social, and academic formation and guidance.
  • Education for students that leads to careers or college.

Meet Ryana

Brazil

Brasilia

My name is Ryana, I am 12 years old. I came from a very poor family. My parents separated when I was still small. My father has another family and is living as a farmer. I have two more siblings. My mother has no permanent job because she did not finish her studies in high school, she work as a laborer: working at the field, as domestic helper and at times as a saleslady in order to keep ends meet. I feel very sad seeing the situation of my family. I really wanted to study in order to help my mother and siblings. I want to become doctor someday, but aside from the poverty of my family, there is also no quality education here in my village. 

When the sisters came to my place, I took the exam and interview and thanks be to God I passed and now I am so happy that I am one of the fortunate child of the world. I am learning many things. I am so grateful to God for giving me Father Al, the sisters and our friends who care for me in my new home. Thank you so much for giving me the hope to reach my dream and help my family. Thank you so much.

Learn more about the children

The children at our schools come from the poorest of the poor. Each child has their own stories of what their life was before coming to our schools and how their lives are being transformed by the Sisters of Mary programs.  Read the moving stories of our children in their own words. 

Meet Our Graduates

There are 160,000+  graduates from the Sisters of Mary Schools. Many of our graduates went on to live prosperous lives, helping their families and local communities. Read the inspiring stories of our graduates in their own words. 

Life At Our Villages

Learn more about how we help children break free from a life of poverty.