Developing Minds in Maniapure

From Asociación Damas Salesianas (ADS), and especially from the children attending the educational program at the multicultural preschool “Padre Miguel González” in Maniapure, Bolívar State, Venezuela, we want to express our deepest gratitude to each of the GlobalGiving donors who have supported our Developing Minds program. We are excited to share some of our recent achievements, all made possible thanks to your valuable support:

1. Visit from a Nutritionist and Practical Workshop on Balanced Diet and Food Handling: We organized a visit from a nutritionist from Caracas to Maniapure (625 km) to strengthen the “Nutrition with Purpose” program. This training is essential for the children’s guardians, collaborating mothers, and the main cook of the dining hall to ensure proper hygiene, food preparation, and portions; necessary knowledge for those working in the dining hall to guarantee the children’s proper growth and development.
2. End-of-Year Activity and School Promotion: Diplomas, medals, and recognition materials for the teachers were prepared. It was a joyful celebration marking the end of the school year, where 5 of the 22 children completed the initial level of education and are ready to start the first grade. It was a moment of pride and joy for both the children and their families.
3. Visits to Indigenous Communities with Educational Materials: We made two visits to indigenous communities, bringing educational materials that captured the parents' attention to motivate them to enroll their children in preschool. This way, we continue to encourage enrollment for the new school year 2023-2024. During this visit, 5 new children were pre-enrolled.
4. Recovery of Malnourished Children: Eight children with malnutrition, as part of the health and medical monitoring program, received medical evaluations at the end of the 2023-2024 school year. They have regained their health and nutritional standards thanks to the “Nutrition with Purpose” program, allowing them to enjoy greater physical and emotional well-being and actively participate in their educational development.

Our Next Big Challenge: School Transportation. An urgent need to achieve greater reach and ensure that more children attend preschool and have access to the feeding program – reducing malnutrition rates in the area – is to have adequate transportation. Transportation will be the key to reaching more communities. Currently, we face difficulties with the available transportation, and with your contributions to the “Developing Minds” program, we could not only repair it but also expand our services, ensuring that more children, both native and indigenous of the Eñepa ethnicity, have the opportunity for quality education and comprehensive well-being.

With the same enthusiasm and love you have shown for our programs, we will be able to attract more donors and raise funds to expand our preschool and acquire or repair school transportation.

This vehicle will be essential to reaching more communities and ensuring that no child is left without the opportunity to receive an education due to a lack of transportation.

Thank you! Together, We Are Sowers of Hope.