Fight Poverty: Educate Women in Panama

On a gray and rainy day, we were hopping the weather would get better to celebrate the graduation for the class CAPTA 47 and just after noon the rain stopped, and the sun came out as a witness of the joy of the 24 women that completed more than 344 hours of training for employment and for their lives. They stood out for their level of commitment, high sense of belonging and empathy among peers. In the words of Paulina "In CAPTA we discovered our own self-worth and found a new family".

This group of women, with difficult life stories overcame the obstacles that arose in the middle of their training and decided to persevere. During the program they had in common the strong desire to succeed and the qualities required for a successful process.

Each day they demonstrated their level of commitment in the midst of scarcity and illness, some with night jobs to sustain their homes and attend the course, others leaving their children in the care of relatives and neighbors; there was also the case of a woman who fought for child support through the court from her absent partner.

For us, the most moving characteristic of these women was that they were willing to support the Foundation in extracurricular activities, expressing solidarity among peers. During classes, they played an active role in the development of assigned tasks to ensure the logistics of the training. They were willing to negotiate in conflict situations and had a positive attitude.

The time went by so quickly, but it was enough to create strong and lasting hope, friendships and encouragement. After lots of preparation, they had an emotional graduation. One by one, they heard their names and with a mixed of emotions they went on stage to receive their certificates. Now they are 24 confident women who recognize their value in society and are willing to fight for their life plan and get a decent job to improve their quality of life and provide more opportunities for their children.

Links:

• Fundacion Calicanto