Sowing Seeds for the future

A new project of community development in Ypané set into motion by Dequeni

Niñas con plantitas Girls with seedlings Die beiden Mädchen sind stolz auf die jungen Pflänzchen
En unos años pueden cosechar frutos In some years they can harvest fruit In ein paar Jahren warden sie Obst ernten…
Paula y Teresa Paula and Teresa Paula und Teresa
Futuro centro Future center Das zukünftige Zentrum Fotos: Helem Peña © 2008

PARAGUAY, Helem Peña/mkf. During these days, Paraguay appears in the world news as a country with new outbreaks of yellow fever, the lack of immunization, corruption…But there is other news that comes from Paraguay, the news of people committed with the struggle for more solidarity, for more education, more justice, and more responsibility on the part of the citizens. Many of those who work in social, political, educational, and ecclesiastic spheres are motivated to create a new Paraguay by the Covenant of Love. It was the Covenant of Love that set the Dequeni foundation into motion more than 20 years ago. Nowadays, 2007 children receive scholarships thanks to Dequeni. And this is only a part of what Dequeni does to promote the rights of all children to grow in dignity.

Among the many other projects that the organization runs, there is a new community project sponsored by Dequeni: The construction of a new community center in Ypané has been set into motion. Ypané is a city located 26 kilometers from Asunción. The project will benefit 350 children and 220 families, in the San Pedro, 3 Nacientes (that is divided into 3nac. 1,3nac 2, 3nac3), 8 de diciembre and 29 de agosto neighborhoods.

The project is carried out through the support of the Canadian Christian Childhood Fund and is sponsored by important businesses that are interested in covering part of the project. Dequeni and the community are working on finding a location for the community center where the following services will be offered: scholastic reinforcement, breakfast, lunch and snacks (the costs for such services are supplemented by scholarships), mentoring and recreation. In the beginning, it will function as a child care center so that mothers can work scheduled hours at their jobs without worrying about whom to entrust their children with. Furthermore, the project hopes to cover the service of potable water for the community with the installation of a community tank.

Dequeni trainers are providing training sessions to the central committee of the project and to the committee of mothers from the community center. The training sessions focus on the preparation of the future teachers for the classes of scholastic reinforcement, handicrafts, food preparation and primary medical care (first aid and hygiene for the children). The community organization and the strengthening of the work group that will accompany the project are underway.

Environmental education for the residents

One of the first activities that were developed within the framework of the project was the training and awareness of the people of the neighborhoods in environmental education. Dequeni works in cooperation with the WWF Foundation. They handed out fruit tree seedlings, ornamental plants and other kinds of plants, to be cultivated in the area, offered technical assistance in the care and maintenance of the plants, and gave advice on how to make the best use of the resources.

Mothers came together to work for the well-being of their children.

The main downfall of the neighborhoods is obviously poverty; the men go to work, and the majority of the women stay home to care for the children – on average, each family has five children; therefore, the community center poses as a great benefit for the neighborhood.

"We are very happy with the support that we receive from the Foundation. We, the women of the community, are concerned about our children. We will conscientiously work towards the advancement of our children. We are poor, but we care about the well-being of our children," states Paulina López, a coordinator of the community center mothers’ committee.

Teresa Corrales is sure that with the establishment of the community center, "many of our needs will be met. We do not have medical care nearby, and the little school of the neighborhood functions in a very limited way, but with scholastic reinforcement, our children will excel. I believe that with the services the foundation offers, many of our problems can be resolved," she indicated.