Disaster Response Puerto Rico Project #29928

Puerto Rico emergency relief / long-term recovery

by Filantropia Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico emergency relief / long-term recovery

Project Report | Mar 8, 2018
Field Update#13: NUESTRA ESCUELA

By Andrea Moya | Communications Consultant

There are currently 250 students enrolled.

The FORWARD Puerto Rico Fund is a fund that supports local grassroots organizations that are assisting communities affected by the devastating hurricanes Irma and Maria. This report describes the work that is being done by one of the organizations supported through the Fund.

NUESTRA ESCUELA

Since 2000, the nonprofit organization Nuestra Escuela has tackled the issue of school dropouts through alternative education. Their model doesn't just focus on academic and intellectual development, it also addresses the emotional, social, physical and spiritual needs of the students.

Many young people who attend Nuestra Escuela come from disadvantaged, unstable, and even violent backgrounds, are teen parents, or were simply unsuccessful in adapting to traditional schools. That's why Nuestra Escuela, which is part of the public school system of Puerto Rico and in 17 years has impacted the lives of over 1600 students, adapts to their learning styles and interests. This innovative approach allows them to earn a high school diploma while producing well-rounded citizens in the process.

"Just the fact that these young people say that if it weren't for Nuestra Escuela they would be dead or in jail, I believe is an important contribution to their lives, to their families and to the country," expressed Ana Yris Guzmán Torres, president y cofounder of Nuestra Escuela.

There are currently 250 students enrolled in the Caguas and Loiza centers, most between the ages of 13 and 21, and they are the ones that guide the curriculum by selecting individual projects. However, like many projects planned for the second half of 2017, Hurricane Maria changed everything.

The lack of electricity combined with flooding in the Caguas center caused mold to accumulate in the walls and destroyed all their books and computers. Nuestra Escuela also lost their four gardens, which were used for growing food and as laboratories. One in particular had installed solar panels and a sustainable water irrigation system.

Despite these setbacks, both centers reopened in October. The students decided to put aside their personal projects and work on helping their communities. During the first months after Maria, food was the priority. With the support of the FORWARD Puerto Rico Fund, they established community cafeterias to provide hot meals for the students, their families, and other members of the community, including many elderly people. These services are still available to those who continue to require them.

In 2018, the Nuestra Escuela students took on new community projects. These include a census of the needs of their communities and the creation of a natural mosquito repellent, in response to the mosquito outbreak that followed the storm. They are also rebuilding the gardens, as well as working on an additional garden run by the organization Urbe a Pie (Walking City) in Caguas.

"After the hurricane, the country changed, and priorities also changed, but one of the things we want to maintain in the organization is the openness to have this project led by the voices of our students, since they are the ones who truly know what they need," said Guzmán Torres.

The first months after Maria food was a priority.

#onedayatatime

The students created a natural mosquito repellent.

Links:

http://www.nuestraescuela.org

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Mar 2, 2018
Instituto Nueva Escuela (INE)

By Andrea Moya | Communications Consultant

Schools are located in impoverished communities.

Instituto Nueva Escuela ( the New School Institute) is a nonprofit organization that aims to transform Puerto Rico's public school system through the Montessori teaching method. The number of INE schools has been growing over its 17 years of existence to now include 49 public Montessori schools in 27 municipalities around the island, serving students from 0 to 18 years of age, including special education students. The participation of the family in the child's education is an integral part of the child's development. "With every child that comes, we enroll the family," states INE's website.

INE schools are often located in impoverished communities, including public housing projects. INE boasts a 0% school dropout rate, 0% violent incidents, 0% drug-related incidents, and a 16% increase in enrollment over the past 3 years; all of the schools have waitlists. Its successes have attracted philanthropic support from local foundations that have supported INE’s growth over the years.

While the damage caused by Hurricane Maria to most of INE's schools was relatively small, the surrounding communities were devastated, particularly the mountain and coastal areas of Barranquitas, Aibonito, Naranjito, Humacao, and Patillas, and the island municipality of Vieques. Despite this fact, communities came together to clear debris from the schools, empty the floodwater, clean and repaint the facilities so that they could reopen as soon as possible. INE worked with the faculty and staff of each school on community relief projects, setting up collection centers for basic necessity items and organizing brigades that would distribute these around the communities. MIT and the University of Puerto Rico's Architecture School are collaborating to bring solar power to several INE facilities and to build new homes at a number of the municipalities most affected by the hurricane. Members of the community will be involved, allowing them to acquire new skills, such as the installation of solar power systems, with the aim of creating self-sufficient communities.

INE received operating support from the FORWARD Puerto Rico Fund that enabled them to reestablish their operations. Others donated generators and cisterns, allowing them to meet the Department of Education's requirements of having access to power and water in order to reopen after the storm. While the vast majority of public schools on the island remained closed until early 2018, about 90% of INE's schools reopened before December.

"We continue to use the round table method, and community participation. We give priority to recognizing and serving the community's agenda. The door is always open, the school is a community center. It can serve as a base of support, but also to plan. To plan for happiness, to become free from dependence, to solve things collectively," points out Ana Maria Garcia Blanco, the executive director of INE.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, public school enrolment in Puerto Rico has decreased by 27,000 and Puerto Rico’s finances are in a precarious state. The Department of Education has announced that over 300 public schools will close during the summer of 2018, including some INE schools. The Department of Education is aiming to convert INE public schools into charter schools, a proposal that was rejected by Garcia Blanco and which has raised concerned among the INE school directors.

Communities came together to clear debris.

Collection centers for basic necessity where set.

Links:

http://www.inepr.com

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Feb 14, 2018
Boys & Girls Clubs of Puerto Rico

By Nelson B. Berrios | Communications Consultant

The Loiza location became a distribution center.

The FORWARD Puerto Rico Fund is a fund that supports local grassroots organizations that are assisting communities affected by the devastating hurricanes Irma and Maria. This report describes the work that is being done by one of the organizations supported through the Fund.

The passing of hurricanes Irma on September 5th and Maria on September 20th severely damaged three of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Puerto Rico (BGCPR)’ s 13 centers in Puerto Rico. Many of the BGCPR staff personally suffered the effects of the storm. But a few days after the Hurricanes, they returned to work to assess damages and determine how best to help their communities. A survey of BGCPR programs participants revealed that 10% of them had lost everything and many others were in need of food and water

The BGCPR offers after-school programs for kids and teens throughout Puerto Rico through community-based centers. Programs are designed to empower youth to become good citizens, and lead productive and healthy lives. Educational programs include bilingual tutors and provide recreational activities in a safe environment. Ninety percent (90%) of children who participate in these programs live in households with a median income below the poverty level

The town of Loíza is one of the poorest in Puerto Rico. It has the highest proportion of people of African descent. As a coastal town, it suffered the widespread destruction of homes. Electricity and water were not available after the first of the two hurricanes. With the help of volunteers and several civic organizations the BGCPR turned its Loíza location into a community support center, collecting and distributing water, food, clothing, and basic supplies. The Center also organized a crew that cooked and served thousands of hot meals.

BGCPR centers in Vieques, Bayamón, Santurce and Isabela were also used as community support centers. They distributed food and essential items donated by diverse foundations, corporations and individuals they organized medical evaluations by volunteer doctors, and assistance in applying for FEMA support. Resources were available to anyone who needed them, regardless of whether their children are enrolled in the programs or not. All this occurred while still offering their programs.

Public schools were closed, but BGCPR was open. "We did not have to think twice about it," said Olga Ramos, president of BGCPR. “We are known for ensuring the wellbeing of our children, and it must be so in this moment of historical crisis. Our programs help to give participants a sense of security and allows the parents to return to work while schools are closed. This, in turn, helps the economic recovery."

"Even before the hurricanes, our participants were already facing a difficult situation since most of the homes we reach are economically deprived," said Eduardo Carrera, BGCPR chief executive officer. "Our objective has always been to provide youth with the resources to explore their own interests, develop their talents and thrive in the current economy. This crisis will only make us stronger and give us the energy to continue. We will continue to assist our boys and girls to acquire the necessary skills to find jobs or to explore entrepreneurship so that they become economically independent and contribute to their community".

The BGCPR offers after-school programs.

The programs give participants a sense of security

Links:

http://www.bgcpr.org

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