Pediatric Services in Remote Areas of Argentina

About Fundación Sumando Manos

For over 20 years, Fundación Sumando Manos has worked alongside communities, schools, teachers, volunteers, and partner organizations across Argentina to bring food, education, healthcare, and hope to the most vulnerable children and families.

This report summarizes the activities carried out between January and May 2026, covering two reporting periods that reflect the breadth and depth of our ongoing commitment.

 Program 1: Apiculture Project – Misiones

The beekeeping program is one of our flagship initiatives, combining environmental sustainability, community empowerment, and child nutrition into a single, transformative project. The program operates in rural schools and indigenous communities throughout the province of Misiones.

 How it works:

• Beehives are installed in schools and communities with the support of a specialist beekeeper.
• Teachers are trained and then pass their knowledge on to older students through workshops.
• Hive construction is funded as part of the project, including all materials and expert support.
• A self-sustaining honey production model is in place: honey is both consumed and sold locally.
• Children receive pure honey daily as a natural nutritional supplement.

 The Comunidad Chafariz is a leading example of this initiative, producing and commercializing their own Organic Multifloral Honey under their community brand. Their products are sold at fairs and local markets, generating income and pride for the entire community.

   Key Impact: Pure honey is delivered daily as nutrition to children in rural communities, while families develop sustainable livelihoods through beekeeping.

Program 2: Schools & Food Assistance

With over 20 years of presence in the Argentine education system, Fundación Sumando Manos continues to support rural and vulnerable schools across the country through direct donations of food, supplies, and resources.

At the start of the 2026 school year, donations were sent to schools in Chaco, Misiones, Tucumán, Córdoba, Santa Fe, Salta, and Entre Ríos. In the provinces of Chaco and Misiones, the annual food procurement cycle for breakfasts and lunches was launched in March — as it is every year.

A special recognition goes to Empresa Polimundi (Jorge and Alejandra Borda and their entire staff) for their generous donation to schools in Chaco.

  Key Impact: Hundreds of children across 7 provinces receive daily meals, school supplies, and educational support thanks to our donor network.

Program 3: SAI Foundation – Community Centers

The SAI community centers operate year-round across Argentina, providing a comprehensive range of services to children and families in vulnerable situations. Each center adapts its programs to the specific needs of its community.

Monthly services include:

• Human Values Education and learning workshops
• Meals and snacks on weekdays and weekends
• Academic tutoring and homework support
• Medical and dental care (in select centers)
• Clothing and food donations
• Recreational activities, crafts, and gastronomy workshops

Centers & weekly attendance:

La Casita Feliz – Florencio Varela, BA ~100 children/week. Full Sunday service: breakfast, lunch, snack, human values, food bags.

Centro SAI – Las Talitas, Tucumán ~80 children with their mothers every Friday. Snacks, values education, donations.

Noccan Kani – Recreo, Santa Fe ~100 children. Gastronomy & art workshops, Thursday family meetings, sewing, clothing.

Escuela 170 – Santa Ana, Misiones ~60 children (two shifts).

Comunidad Guaraní – San Ignacio, Misiones 18 families, 75 children. Periodic donations.

Merendero Belén – Salta ~20 children.

Asoc. Creación – Buenos Aires ~30 children in cancer treatment.

Los Sauces – Córdoba ~20 children and families, dental treatment.

Hogar Mamitas – Posadas, Misiones Ongoing support.

   Key Impact: 500+ children weekly receive food, education, healthcare and human values across 9 centers in 6 provinces.

Program 4: Solidarity Trip to Misiones – March 2026

In March 2026, volunteers from Asociación Civil Santa Clara carried out an intensive solidarity trip to remote indigenous villages and rural schools in Misiones — one of Argentina's most underserved regions. Despite heavy rains, all planned objectives were achieved thanks to the team's unwavering commitment.

 Communities and schools visited:

• Aldea Yeyi
• Aldea Yriapí
• Aldea Pindo Potí
• Rural School Nº 373/1 – Paraje El Botón, El Soberbio
• School of Pepirí
• Aldea Taomerí

Activities completed:

• Medical and dental care for children and adults — including toothbrushes, toothpaste, medication, and first aid supplies.
• Distribution of food to reinforce school breakfasts and lunches.
• Delivery of school supplies, toys, clothing, and footwear.
• Installation of a new water pump at the Pepirí school (sent from Buenos Aires).
• Financial contribution to the construction of bathrooms and water tanks at Aldea Taomerí schools.
• Recreational activities, games, shared meals, and community bonding moments with children and families.

  Key Impact: Remote indigenous and rural communities received comprehensive healthcare, essential supplies, and lasting infrastructure improvements.

Fundraising & How to Help

For over 14 years and with the support of more than 1,500 generous donors, Fundación Sumando Manos has been able to bring real, measurable change to the lives of thousands of children and families across Argentina.

We want to keep growing — reaching more communities, supporting more schools, and delivering more smiles. Every contribution, regardless of its size, makes a direct difference.

Your donation funds:

• Daily meals for children in rural and indigenous communities
• School supplies, clothing, and footwear for vulnerable students
• Medical and dental care in remote areas with no access to health services
• Infrastructure improvements: water pumps, bathrooms, tanks
• Beehive installation and beekeeper training for community self-sufficiency
• Human Values Education programs and workshops

Special Thanks

We extend our deepest gratitude to Empresa Polimundi, and especially to Jorge and Alejandra Borda and their entire team, for their generous support in delivering goods to the children and schools of Chaco, Argentina. Your kindness makes a real difference.

              "Thank you for joining hands and multiplying solidarity." — Fundación Sumando Manos

                                  Support our mission — make your contribution today: 

                      https://www.globalgiving.org/donate/7484/sumando-manos-foundation/

Links:

• Support our mission! Make a contribution today:

Fourth Quarter 2025 Update: 20 Uninterrupted Years Multiplying Kindness

By Omar Pucciarelli | Board Member

 Dear GlobalGiving Friends and Supporters,

We want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your continuous support over the past 20 uninterrupted years through the Sumando Manos Foundation. Thanks to your unwavering commitment, we have been able to reach more than 4,000 children every year, helping numerous schools. This means that together we have impacted more than an entire generation of Argentinians, giving them tools, nutrition, and hope for a better future.

 We would like to thank all our donors, our network of foundations, the teachers and principals who work tirelessly every day, and the people who quietly contribute to the betterment of many children.

Celebrating Childhood: Nutrition and School Support

 In August, schools held Children’s Day celebrations, for which special shipments were sent from our Buenos Aires warehouse. We delivered essential donations—food, shoes, school supplies, and blankets—to numerous schools across different provinces, including Villa Berthet, Cue Cabral, Curuzú Cuatiá, Tres Isletas, Paraje Campo Nuevo, Palmar Chico, and Pueblo Cazes. We also donated a refrigerator to EEP 694 in Tres Isletas, Chaco.

 As Director Hugo Gómez of EEP 552 reminded us: "In a world where many children still face challenges and inequalities, today we raise our voices to remind everyone that every child deserves love, respect, education, and a future full of opportunities. Happy Children’s Day!".

The Engine Behind the Donations

None of this reaches its destination by magic. With unwavering dedication from Buenos Aires, Teresa Donaire oversees the logistics of material donations. From collecting, repairing, and washing, to distributing the goods, she ensures everything reaches the schools we support. With the invaluable help of Graciela Fernández, they carry out an exceptional job. Thank you so much!. 

Partnerships that Multiply Our Reach

We would like to thank all the foundations and associations that work with us to reach so many children in different regions of the country. Through them, we provide a wide range of specialized support:

Helping Hands – Santa Clara Team: The Santa Clara group carried out a solidarity mission to Pampa del Indio (Chaco), visiting rural schools in Paraje Lote 4 and the school led by Nancy Machuca. The team offered dental check-ups, hygiene kits, food, clothing, medicines, and toys, bringing relief and smiles to dozens of children. Earlier this year, they also reached Salta and Jujuy provinces, visiting several communities and benefiting more than 100 students with educational activities, nutrition, and care.

Fundación Sai: Our partnership continues to grow, providing monthly meals, health checkups, and educational support at their centers. In addition, their Human Values Education workshops help children learn empathy, respect, and teamwork.

Key Allies: We also extend our deepest gratitude to "Pequeños Pasos" for their nutrition and vocational workshops, "Camino a la Casita" for their school support, and "Sumando Solidaridad" for repairs and donations. 

Thank You for Making This Possible None of this would have been possible without your generosity and the invaluable collaboration of our friends at Sumando Manos Foundation. Your contributions continue to bring food, education, health, and hope to children across Argentina’s most vulnerable communities.

As we look ahead, we invite you to keep supporting our programs through GlobalGiving—every donation, no matter the size, helps us reach one more child, one more family, one more school.

Let’s keep adding hands and multiplying kindness.

With gratitude, Sumando Manos Foundation

Links:

• Sumando Manos Foundation Website