Espigas Centre

Espigas Centre provides comprehensive assistance to more than 514 children and youth together with their families through Fundación Retoño's funding. These families live in a critical socioeconomic environment, at Puntas de Manga neighbourhood and areas of influence located in the outskirts of Montevideo.

The Centre is managed by the Civil Association AUDEC (Uruguayan Association for Development, Education and Training). Four main programmes are carried out at the Centre: CAIF, Children's Club and Simiente Project. AUDEC, in agreement with INAU (Uruguayan Institute for Children and Youth), is in charge of the CAIF and Children's Club programmes, while the new Simiente Project is entirely funded by Fundación Retoño.

Within the Centre's premises, Fundación Retoño has built modern Ambulatory Medical and Dental Health Clinics, managed from the professional aspect by Urgenterap. The aim is to educate in prevention, and therefore, contribute to highly improve the quality of life of more than 500 babies, children and youngsters that attend the Centre and their close relatives, which makes up for a population of approximately 200 families.

At Espigas, sports are an essential tool used in the education of our children and youngsters. The Sports and Recreation Department successfully organizes events on Saturdays which include the practice of sports and interactive games with students from other institutions, thus fostering healthy competition and social integration.



Our Vision

To be a Centre of reference for the Puntas de Manga neighbourhood and nearby areas, that offers children and youth quality education programmes, for them to become integrated and committed members of the present and future society.

Our Mission

We are a Centre that guides children and youth in getting to know and exercise their rights, discover and develop their potential and to relate to others with respect. To provide them with the tools needed for a successful involvement in the community and social environment they live in, as well as building a life project of personal and social wellbeing.

Our Project


  • Our project’s main characteristics are to be creative, open and flexible. Our children, youth and their families find at Espigas a space to be listened to in a professional environment, with sensitivity and respect, in which to devise possible alternatives to solve problematic situations. We work with the families so that they value education as an instrument for self-improvement and social transformation.
  • The children and youngsters that attend the Centre are the reason for our existence. All our actions and decisions are driven by this premise.
  • We conduct our educational roles from the perspective of conceiving the other as a being with possibilities, capable of developing him/herself and building a better future, beyond their origin or environment in which they were born in.
  • As part of an ever changing world, it is our responsibility to offer our children and youth the tools to become self-sufficient citizens in the 21th century's society.

Our Programmes

CAIF Programme

Assists 235 children from birth to 3 years of age through different programmes such as Early Stimulation, Upbringing Practices, Initial Education and Health Care and Education.

children's club

Assists 129 children attending Initial Education up to 4th grade of Primary at public schools in the area. Children go to Espigas before or after school hours.

simiente project

150 children, who are attending 5th and 6th grades of Primary Schools in the area, participate in this project. The aim is to prepare them to have a successful performance at Liceo Espigas.