School and
Pre-School programs are developed through 3 components: Nutrition,
Education and Basic Health Services.
Nutrition
Thanks to the generous contribution of
our Godfathers, Godmothers and benefactors, we are currently catering
to the needs of more than 10,000 boys and girls in 100 school dining
rooms in the Darien region and offering nutritional support to
pre-scholars in 41 of the communities recipients of these dinning
rooms.
Supervised by nutritionists, the boys and girls receive daily balanced
breakfast and lunches, covering daily requirements for 80% of the
proteins and approximately 50% of the calories.
On April of 2003, we launched the construction of new installations
for four school dining rooms in the communities of “Emberá Puru”,
“Altos de Cristo”, “Portuchada” and “Peña Bijagual”.
Boys and girls
from the Arimae aboriginal community that participate in the Elementary
School Program receive their breakfast thanks to donations received by the
Foundation from godparents and benefactors.
Students of
the Zapallal Elementary School enjoy a healthy lunch provided by the
Fundación Pro Niños del Darién.
Education
In the field of the education, the PRO CHILDREN FOUNDATION OF DARIEN
contributes to the teaching - learning process in 100 schools of the area,
supplying school material to children and didactic material to teachers.
Furthermore, with the assistance received
from participating corporations, we have distributed backpacks and school
textbooks .
Betzaida de
Delgado, Dorita de Maduro y Rossana de Lasso distribute school supplies to
students and didactic material to school teachers of the Emberá Puru School.
With an investment of US$ 75,000.00, the Foundation achieved the
construction and improvement of 5 schools in the “Darienita”
communities of “Nuevo Progreso”, “Santa Librada”, “Sansón”, “Sansón
Abajo”y “Nuevo Vigía”, in addition to an investment of
US$ 162,000.00 to replace 12
school dining room huts for concrete structures.
Outer part of
the School Dinning Room inaugurated in April 2003 in the Altos del Cristo
community school.
School fairs, sports events, children
camps, singing contests, paint workshops and all sorts of activities
are carried out throughout the year as part of the integral formation
of boys and girls and in order to allow the children to develop and
discover their talents.
Health
In matters of health, this organization
has intensified its work in recent years through basic health service
programs with special attention to communities of difficult access of
the Darien region and as a complement to the school and pre-school
nutrition program.
The organization carries out development
and growth evaluations four times a year for pre-school boys and girls
Dr. Nedelka
Salazar examines a girl during a medical visit to one of the “darienita”
aboriginal communities.
plus an annual hemoglobin
test, preventive and therapeutic supply of iron, provides medication
against parasites, “escabiosis” and “pio dermitis.” Parents are
trained on hygiene, food preparation and nutrition. All this is
performed in order to improve the quality of life of the family.
School students have their weight and size evaluated once a year. A
survey of anemia is carried out, and iron, vitamin A, and medicines
against parasites and other health problems are provided.
Every 8 weeks, health teams, comprised by doctors, nurse assistants,
nutritionists, environmental health technicians and health assistants
cater to the populations of difficult .
Robinson
Rosales, from the health team, vaccinates a child as part of the basic
health services provided by the Foundation.
access in the districts of “Camogantí”,
“Tucutí”, “Taimatí”, “La Palma”, “Río Congo”, “Chepigana”, “Río
Iglesias” and the native regions of “Wargandí”, “Sambú” and “Cémaco”
Self-Sustainable
Agricultural Production Program
In our Training
Center, located in the “Granja Agro Ecológica Niños de Darién”
(Agro Ecological Farm Children of Darien), the children of the school
nutrition program together with their parents, teachers, and independent
producers, receive training on the use of the land and agricultural
production techniques. They are taught that with one hectare of land and
with local resources, they can produce the basic nutritious diet that
the family needs.
One of
the poultry farm modules of the Agro-Ecological Farm Niños del
Darién.
Through this program, the families receive small loans, seeds and
animals to start their own breeding and the necessary supplies to start
the different production modules.
The center has a lodging capacity for 60 people, a kitchen, a dining
room and a training area, that permit training on new agro-ecology
techniques, community organization, hygiene, health, environmental
education, seeds selection methods, rural management, and land
conservation.
In addition, the Farm has cattle, goats, sheep, pigs and horse, birds, “iguana verde”, (green iguana) “conejo pintao” (paca or Agounti paca), worm
production modules. On the agricultural production area the
farm has parcels of beans, yucca, “name”, “otoe”, rice, “guandú”,
plantain, soybean, pumpkin, sugar cane, corn, pepper, papaya, coffee,
broad beans, fruit trees and timber yielding species.
Godparent Program
The PRO
CHILDREN FOUNDATION OF DARIEN sustains itself thanks to the generosity
of people, institutions and collaborators that believe and support the
work that this organization is carrying out for the benefit of the
“Darienita” community.
Currently, we have 3,005 Godparents that provide their generous
donations to the 10,000 boys and girls registered in the programs
organized by the Foundation.
Boys and girls
that participate in the School Program thank their benefactors in one of the
Godparents’ Meeting.
We have implemented a new system in order to facilitate the contribution
of those that would like to be part of our Godfathers and Godmothers
program. We provide the opportunity for people from all social classes
and academic levels to donate according to their economic potential such
as: “Padrinos Estudiantes” (Student Godparents), “Padrinos Colaboradores
”(Collaborator Godparents),
After the
Foundation Thanksgiving Mass in December 2003, Mr. Melquíades Acevedo chats
with his “darienita” godson Israel Dominguez.
“Padrinos sin Fronteras”, (No Boundary
Godparents), and “Padrinos Corporativos” (Corporate Godparents).
We will maintain the current Godparent system in which people cater as
godparent to a child with monthly payments of US $20.00, or
US $240.00 a
year.
DISTRIBUTION OF THE US$ 20.00
The contribution of Godparents (US$ 20.00) is distributed as follows:
%
Amount in US$
Description
40
8.00
Food
15
3.00
Health
15
3.00
Education
15
3.00
Production
5
1.00
School and dining rooms improvement
5
1.00
Patrimony Funds
5
1.00
Administration
100
20.00
Student Godparents
Through the
Program “Be a Godparent to a Child in Darien”, elementary and high
school students can help the children and teen-agers with the greatest
needs in the Providence. Students in the program make an annual
contribution of US $1.00.
Collaborator Godparents
Receives the
donation of collaborators and executives of private corporations and
public institutions with alternatives that adjust to the budget of those
willing to back the program. For instance, with a monthly contribution
of US $1.00 one can become a Godfather and a Godmother of a “Darienita”
child.
International Godparents
This program is
designed to obtain the support of Panamanian residents abroad and
foreigners residing in Panama. These Godfathers and Godmothers will be
requested a monthly contribution of US $20.00 and a godchild will be
assigned.
Corporate Godparents
This category is
formed by corporations and sponsoring institutions:
TUIRACorporate
Godparent: It consists of the
patronage of 12 children for a period of 12 months (1 year). The
Godparent donates a monthly amount of US $240.00 dollars, representing
an annual contribution of US $2,880.00.
SAMBU
Corporate
Godparent: With this plan, a
patronage to 9 children during 12 months (1 year) will be provided,
and the required monthly contribution is of US $180.00 for a total
annual contribution of US $2,160.00.
CEMACOCorporate
Godparent: The corporation or
institution that joins this program will be the Godparent of 6
children for a period of 12 months (1 year), providing a monthly
contribution of US $120.00, that annually adds up to a
US $1,440.00
contribution.
EMBERACorporate
Godparent: Consists of the
patronage of 3 children for a 12-month period (1 year). The Godparent
donates US $60.00 every month annually representing
US $720.00.
