Fight Poverty: Educate Women in Panama

Dear friends,

The first CAPTA course for the year takes off with 23 women in search of new opportunities. The recruitment for this course was not easy; the women we found interested in the course faced several obstacles and were not sure they could participate. With the start of the school year, most of the women were preparing their children for school and did not have the means to purchase school materials and uniforms. This is a troubling situation for these women, who often want to take advantage of opportunities from organizations like Fundacion Calicanto but can’t stop working to provide for their families.  Our CAPTA coordinator Nefthaly Montenegro had the excellent idea of asking for community donations in the form of school materials, books, and uniforms; the results were amazing! Different members of the community we serve, came into our offices and dropped off backpacks, shoes, uniforms, pens and pencils, and anything you can imagine a child could use in school. Each woman received enough donations to cover their expenses for their children’s school year!

This year, CAPTA also counts with the support of a prestigious local dental clinic, owned by Dr. Richard Ford, who has pledged to provide “perfect smiles” to three girls from each course. Dr. Ford will provide at no cost, all treatments and surgical necessities to improve dental hygiene and cosmetic appearance. This important alliance is evidence that changes and opportunities can come from several avenues and it proves that if different sectors join and cooperate, we can provide much more than we could alone.

We have started CAPTA this year with new supporters, who like you believe in the program and the opportunities it creates. Fundacion Calicanto’s President Hildegard Vasquez says, “When you change the life of a woman, you change her family, her community, and the country;” I want you to know that you are part of this process.

Thank you!