Fight Poverty: Educate Women in Panama

What does it take to create change? At Fundación Calicanto, we believe it’s a mix of hard work, unshakable determination, and a community of extended hands ready to help. And in 2024, we witnessed how this formula continues to drive powerful results.

Achievements That Speak Volumes

This year, we graduated 252 participants through our CAPTA program, maintaining the impact of previous years while optimizing resources. With two fewer programs than 2023, we achieved nearly the same graduate numbers, a testament to improved outreach and operational efficiency. Isn’t it remarkable how much impact we can create when we work together with purpose and efficiency?

Through follow-up activities like Conexiones, we stayed connected to over 200 participants, ensuring their journey toward empowerment didn’t end with graduation. Our Agentes de Cambio initiative reached 550 individuals, reflecting a remarkable 59.42% increase in reach and a 37.93% rise in participation compared to 2023.

These numbers aren’t just statistics; they represent lives touched, families supported, and communities strengthened.

Pioneering Programs and Expanding Horizons

This year, we piloted innovative approaches like the CAPTA "Impulsa tu Negocio" program in Juan Díaz, focused on men from the community. Imagine this: a 208% increase in male participants compared to the previous year! Such results fuel our ambition to extend our impact to new areas like San Miguelito and La Chorrera in the near future.

We also focused on enriching the experience of our staff and participants. From new technological tools to opportunities for networking and exposure, our dedicated team felt supported and inspired to give their best.

Financial Strength and Transparency

At Fundación Calicanto, every penny matters. Thanks to our meticulous financial planning, we achieved significant financial efficiency this year, ensuring continuity and sustainability for our programs. We are proud to share that we remain financially resilient and accountable, and we look forward to publishing our audited financial report for the year soon.

The Power of Immersive Experiences

This year, we launched the Agentes de Cambio Experience, an immersive program designed to present challenging topics in a light, engaging way. Participants left feeling inspired, reflective, and deeply committed to our cause. Empathy and intention, when combined with creativity and innovation, can lead to truly remarkable results in raising awareness about critical issues. We aspire to amplify this experience and reach even more people, joining forces to build a healthy and violence-free society for everyone.

What’s Next?

As we look to 2025, our sights are set on forming new alliances, exploring programs for educators, and deepening our impact in vulnerable communities. We are committed to continuous learning, leveraging technology for better impact measurement, and strengthening our communications to attract more talent and support.

A Heartfelt Thanks

We couldn’t do this without you. Every donation, every hour of volunteer work, and every message of encouragement fuels our mission. Together, we’re building brighter futures.

So, we have a question for you: Are you on board to keep driving change next year? With your help, the possibilities are endless. Let’s continue this journey together.

As part of Fundación Calicanto’s ongoing mission to empower socially vulnerable women, our 2024-2026 expansion strategy prioritizes deepening our presence in regions with the highest socio-economic challenges, such as the province of Colón, which accounts for 12% of Panama’s unemployment. Strengthening our presence in areas like Colón is a critical milestone toward our broader goals. In Colón, we have identified not only a significant need for employability initiatives but also a resilient community eager for opportunities to transform their lives. By focusing on this region, we aim to unlock potential and provide transformative opportunities that empower individuals to reshape their futures and contribute to broader societal progress.

In our first report of the year, we highlighted this ambition to extend our geographic reach by setting objectives in key locations. Establishing a strong foundation in Colón required meticulous recruitment efforts, holistic organizational planning, and most importantly, a strategic partnership that would enable us to impact more than 100 individuals this year.

Thanks to the support of a prominent local entity, we have successfully implemented our first CAPTA program in Colón, graduating 38 women. The second cohort, comprising 37 women, is currently underway, and we are on track to deliver one more program before the year ends.

Our approach is centered around supporting mothers and caregivers of students from educational centers that serve low-income, high-achieving adolescents. We firmly believe that the development of young people is most effective when their family environment is also empowered and aligned with their growth. By offering training opportunities to these mothers, we not only provide them with tools for personal and economic advancement but also create a stronger support system for their children.

When parents are included in the process of development and learning, they are better equipped to understand, support, and nurture their child’s aspirations. This integrated family approach ensures that while adolescents see the possibility of a better future, their parents simultaneously gain the skills and perspective necessary to accompany and guide their children through the journey. It is not just about economic improvement but about fostering an environment where the entire family grows together, building mutual understanding and a shared vision for progress.

CAPTA cohort concluded the initial phase of our developmental initiative. The graduates received training in a wide range of topics, including:

• Adaptability to Change
• Effective Communication
• Self-Esteem Building
• Gender and Violence Prevention
• Job Search Strategies
• Resume Writing
• Job Interview Techniques
• Labor Rights Awareness

The resilience, growth, and determination we’ve witnessed in these women are truly inspiring. As we continue our journey, our focus remains on delivering high-impact programs that create lasting change, not only in the lives of individual participants but across entire communities.

We are deeply grateful for the support of GlobalGiving and our other partners, whose trust and resources enable us to scale these efforts. Together, we are creating pathways for transformation, one community at a time.

Links:

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