Little Things Can Change a Life: The Story of Little Things Matter, Ojalá Niños, and Las Pequeñas Cosas Importan

By Nikki Miller

Big changes start with little things. In the case of Ojalá Niños it started with a woman named Elsmarie Norby and how she opened her gate to the children in San Miguel Viejo, a rural Otomí indigenous village that has historically had little access to resources. Elsmarie moved to San Miguel Viejo in 2007 and began providing school supplies and support to the local children. She founded Ojalá Niños in 2010 offering free classes in art, music, reading, health, computers, and more at no cost to families.

Enter Barry and Debora Annino, who wanted to give back to the San Miguel community that was so precious to them. The Anninos worked with Elsmarie for years, helping fund projects for the community. Barry believed that “little things matter” and in 2016, they founded Little Things Matter Foundation, a U.S.-based nonprofit built on a simple belief: small, targeted investments can create big, lasting change.

Little Things Matter Foundation raised money and resources in the U.S. and Ojalá Niños used that support to run daily education programs for children on the ground in México. Ojalá Niños' work has always centered on the idea of giving kids a safe, joyful place to learn, and the materials and guidance to prepare the children and mothers of San Miguel Viejo to pursue their passions, explore their talents, in ways that allow them to participate in local and international economic systems.

After the passing of Elsmarie in 2024, the two organizations announced a major next step: the creation of Las Pequeñas Cosas Importan ("Little Things Matter" in Spanish), a brand-new nonprofit chartered in México. The new organization now includes the day-to-day operations of Ojalá Niños and serves as the sister organization to the U.S. based Little Things Matter Foundation. Allowing the organization’s to build capacity and grow support in more meaningful ways.

The legacies of Barry Annino and Elsmarie Norby continue today through the faithful stewardship of Las Pequeñas Cosas Importan. Elsmarie's dream of creating a place where children and families would have access to space, materials, encouragement, and guidance has become a reality through the completion of the Norby-Annino Learning & Community Center. Meanwhile, Barry's conviction that small, thoughtful investments create lasting, meaningful impact continues to shape every program, scholarship, workshop, and opportunity provided. Together, their vision reminds us that when generosity is paired with purpose, it creates opportunities that extend far beyond a single lifetime.

Under Las Pequeñas Cosas Importan, the organization is growing its offerings well beyond the classroom, including summer camps, monthly kids' clubs, programs specifically for mothers and teens, scholarships for secondary school, a women's cooperative and sewing workshop, skills training and support for families in the community.

On November 21, 2025, a brand-new community center officially opened that includes outdoor and indoor classrooms, a play area, space for community gatherings, and a tienda to display crafts made by the women’s cooperatives with plans to install community organic gardens.  This new space allows the organization to serve more children and provide a wider variety of programming. Together, in 2025 and 1^st Quarter of 2026, the organizations have delivered more than 1,000 hours of tutoring, English, computer literacy, robotics, visual arts, sewing, counseling, Kids Club, Teen Club, summer camp, women's workshops, health initiatives, and community support services.

What started with two people wanting to help a community they both loved has grown into a two-country partnership built to serve the children and families of San Miguel Viejo for years to come. “I realize I have not simply inherited an organization or accepted a leadership role—I have been entrusted with a legacy,” says Debora, “and that legacy is twofold. It is the legacy of my late husband, Barry Annino, whose vision gave birth to the Little Things Matter Foundation, and the legacy of Elsmarie Norby, whose unwavering commitment to the children of San Miguel Viejo created Ojalá Niños. To carry either one would be an honor. To be entrusted with both is a privilege I do not take lightly.”

The future of Las Pequeñas Cosas Importan is very bright, and you can help by joining the upcoming event:

When Art Becomes Opportunity: Equipale Art Exhibition by Local Artists

An Evening of Art, Wine& Community

Thursday, August 135:00–8:00 p.m.

Intersección Arte Contemporáneo

Fábrica La Aurora

Admission: $500 mxn Donation

To learn more and purchase tickets visit www.ojala-ninos.org or www.littlethingsmatter.net