The young Mexican woman who supports children through her foundation

Georgina Martínez was only 10 years old when she realized that while she was attending elementary school, hundreds of children in her hometown of Oaxaca were not receiving an education. 

Conflicts in the education system between teachers and the state government had led to the suspension of classes. 

These events motivated her to speak out and participate in Mexico’s Ninth Children’s Parliament as a child legislator in the Chamber of Deputies. 

Since then, Georgina has dedicated herself to supporting children’s wellbeing, which led her to create the foundation México por los Niños (Mexico for Children) in 2021. 

Also in 2021, she received the Global Humanitarian and Peace Award presented by UN volunteer organization the Bangladesh Digital Social Innovation Forum for her work on campaigns to build classrooms, provide food, and distribute toys to children in Oaxaca. 

In 2017, she won the National Youth Award for her contributions to political culture and democracy. 

While at middle school, she was a youth legislator, spokesperson, and national champion in the “2016 Youth Political Debate Contest.” 

Martínez was also a spokesperson for the National Electoral Institute (INE) to promote the political and democratic participation of children and young people in the “2015 Children and Youth Consultation.” 

She has won various awards, including first place in the Ninth Mexican Children’s Parliament Competition in 2013 and an honorable mention in the 2016 State Youth Award. 

The frequent suspension of classes in Oaxaca was a turning point in the life of “Gigi,” as her friends and family call her. 

“This was a red flag for me. They were teaching me in fifth grade that girls and boys had rights, and seeing this reality motivated me to speak up,” she recalls. 

That is how her foundation México por los Niños was created. 

“It’s an organization that I co-founded with my brother Jorge, who’s a few years younger than me, not only with the aim of supporting vulnerable children but also to encourage children to become agents of change.” 

Her first campaign was Girls and Boys to the Rescue, held at a school in Atzompa, Oaxaca, to improve its infrastructure. 

“It was very shocking for me to see how other children my own age were living in situations so different from mine,” she added. 

One of the situations that motivated and Georgina and Jorge to do something was when they noticed that some children were drinking mezcal to “kill” their hunger. 

“The first school we worked with, which is how our campaign to collect and sell PET to buy food for schools began, was because there were children who were drinking mezcal to ‘kill’ their hunger because they had no food at home.” 

The purpose of México por los Niños is to support vulnerable children and encourage them to become agents of change. 

It currently operates in schools located in Oaxaca, Puebla, Zacatecas, State of Mexico, Campeche, and Jalisco. 

In an interview with CONECTA, Martínez, who is a law student at Tec de Monterrey in Puebla shared some of the campaigns they have worked on to benefit children. 

• Educa Challenge: Renovating spaces and donating school furniture 

• Environmental education workshops: Promoting sustainable development and social awareness 

• Theater plays vs. bullying: Promoting safe spaces and a culture of peace 

• Collection and sale of PET: The sale of PET funds food purchases for highly vulnerable schools. 

• Sale of recycled lamps: Glass bottles are transformed and turned into lamps. 

Georgina became the first Mexican in history to receive the 2021 Global Humanitarian and Peace Award in the Outstanding Service category. 

“When they called out my name, I couldn’t believe it. It was very exciting. It’s a moment to believe in yourself when you travel to the other side of the world and represent your country.” 

The award is presented to individuals and organizations whose efforts have significantly improved the lives of others by consistently promoting a culture of peace and providing humanitarian services. 
 

Georgina has developed another of her passions at Tec de Monterrey: environmental protection. 

In 2023, she became Tec’s sole student representative at COP28 in the United Arab Emirates. 

The event focused on identifying opportunities for students to engage with environmental issues. 

She was a representative and vice president of the Student Federation’s Executive Committee at the Puebla campus. 

“We created a Sustainability Office within the Executive Committee on the Puebla campus. 

“The goal was to have a specific entity that would handle all the issues that arose on our campus in this area, from waste separation to how to promote environmental education and awareness.” 

She also participated in Ruta Azul, the Tec’s sustainability initiative. 

“As you know, Ruta Azul is the Tec’s sustainability and climate change program, where we aim to implement sustainability initiatives on our campuses,” she said. 

One of the activities Georgina shared was her participation in Hershey’s HeForShe campaign. 

“My face was on a chocolate bar that was sold nationwide for almost a year, in a campaign that was launched in March as part of International Women’s Day.” 

This happened in 2023, when she was chosen to be one of the women featured on chocolate packaging. 

“It was a movement that sought to highlight the work of Mexican women in their communities and in society,” she concluded. 

Georgina is in her final semester at law school and next plans to restructure México por los Niños with a new vision. 

Furthermore, as a future lawyer, she aims to develop her career in the private sector or in educational institutions, continuing to have a positive impact on society in any field. 

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