Staff from Children International's Quito, Ecuador, Agency who met with members of the Pathy Family Foundation on a field visit
A fundamental premise of Children International is that transformation and impact can be amplified when groups of like-minded people join forces. The Canadian-based Pathy Family Foundation (PFF) has been a key partner in helping the global nonprofit organization bring this vision into reality.
Through a nearly 20-year partnership with Children International, the Foundation supported the child sponsorship program before also making transformational grants starting in 2017. During that era, PFF invested in strengthening the system and processes Children International used to assess outcomes and drive impact for its signature workforce development program, Into Employment.
Children International then received a five-year grant from the Foundation to support the growth of Into Employment.
“The Pathy Family Foundation has been one of our most transformational partners in employability,” says Christina Becherer, Children International’s Senior Global Director of Strategic Partnerships. “They invested at a formative stage, when the Into Employment program was still building systems, evidence and credibility.”
Indeed, according to Becherer, the current five-year grant has enabled Children International to further scale and institutionalize Into Employment across Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras and Ecuador, by supporting core program elements such as staffing, technical and vocational training, employer engagement, and job-placement support, and enabling nearly 10,000 young people to grow their skills.
For PFF, their giving is not simply about funding programs; it is about identifying overlooked gaps, building relationships and investing long enough to see meaningful change take root.
“I see the Foundation’s investment in Into Employment as catalytic,” said Carole Muriithi, Director, Programs and Learning. “Philanthropy has the opportunity to identify where gaps exist — particularly in areas that are underfunded — and invest in solutions that can unlock broader systems change.”
Youth unemployment represents one of those gaps. Into Employment combines Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), job-readiness preparation and life-skills development with employer cultivation — creating a bridge between young people and local economies.
An Into Employment class in session
“We’re always asking whether a program is addressing root causes,” Muriithi said. “Into Employment does that. It provides direct support to young people while also influencing systems, partnerships and norms. It’s not just about training young people. It’s about strengthening the connection between youth and the labor market. When you’re addressing something as complex as unemployment, you have to think systemically.”
The Foundation believes that systems-level change requires long-term commitment.
“You can’t achieve meaningful impact with short-term funding,” Muriithi said. “Multi-year, flexible support allows organizations to adapt, learn and deepen their impact over time.”
That adaptability has reinforced the Foundation’s trust in Children International. Over the years, PFF representatives have visited Children International’s programs frequently. These experiences have strengthened confidence in Children International’s program model and execution.
Muriithi noted that in Ecuador, for example, research revealed that many young people felt compelled to leave the country in search of opportunity. Children International responded by strengthening local employment pathways and reshaping perceptions about what was possible at home — an example of catalytic investment in action.
PFF also values Children International’s intentional gender lens, recognizing that young women often face disproportionate barriers to workforce entry. “When young people gain the skills, confidence and access they need to thrive, entire communities move forward,” Muriithi said.
As the current grant progresses, PFF remains in active conversation with Children International about the future. What continues to guide the partnership is a shared belief that long-term, trust-based philanthropy can help shift trajectories — not only for the participating children and youth, but also for their families and communities.
“There’s a level of trust that comes from seeing the work firsthand,” Muriithi said. “Children International has a proven track record. They’ve been doing this for 90 years, and they continue to evolve.”
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