COLLEGE SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM Update as of May, 2009 Carbonera is a small fishing village located on the Gulf of Mexico in Tamaulipas, Mexico. The main occupation and source of income in the village is fishing. The average daily income for a fisherman is approximately $10 per day. Since 2003, Builders Without Borders of Texas, Inc., (B.W.B.T.) has been leading mission teams to Carbonera to establish relationships with the people and to provide assistance. One of the major long-term projects is to improve the education of the youth. When first beginning work in Carbonera, the education system only went to the eighth grade. Once finished with the eighth grade, it was time for most of the “men” to become fisherman and most of the “women” to marry. In 2005, B.W.B.T. began construction of the first high school in Carbonera. To date, four buildings are complete. The school has been so well attended, that additional buildings are planned. In June of 2007, C.O.B.A.T. (Carbonera High School) saw its first graduating class. Thirty-two students graduated at that time. Many of these students would have liked to go on to college, but were not able due to financial reasons. On June 26, 2008, 15 students became the second graduating class of C.O.B.A.T. Through the College Sponsorship Program, 13 of these students are about to complete their first year of college. After considerable research, B.W.B.T. determined that the best situation is for the students to attend U.A.T., a university in Ciudad de Victoria which is approximately 150 miles from Carbonera. A Baptist church in Ciudad de Victoria offered a home where these students have lived while attending U.A.T. The cost for a student to attend is approximately $1,200 per year. This includes entrance exam fees, tuition, school ID photo, books, and housing. Due to a generous donation this past year, B.W.B.T. was able to construct a dormitory adjacent to the church. The dormitory will house 50 students, has a girl’s room, a boy’s room, bathrooms, and a kitchen. Next month, 35 Students will make up the third graduating class of C.O.B.A.T. Seventeen of these students would like to attend U.A.T. and live in the dormitory.

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