Centro Escolar Pan y Amor – Mercado Oriental is situated on the northern edge of the largest informal market in Central America; consisting of ninety city blocks of sprawling informal stalls with no vehicular access.

The center was initiated in the year 2000 as a small feeding center for 40 children, sons and daughters of informal vendors from the market, offering 2 meals a day as well as a morning of tutoring in math and spanish. Today the center attends over 300 children and includes the three levels of preschool and six grades of primary school.