$65,000
Rural Schools Aid - Asociation Presente Padrinos de Escuelas Rurales
We are currently working with registered Civil Asociacion (registered charity) Asociation Presente Padrinos de Escuelas Rurales (rougly translates to "Assn of Godparents of Rural Schools") to construct a residential college for tertiary students in Villa Atamisqui, Antiago del Estero, in the North of Argentina. This facility will provide opportunity for remote students to pursue tertiary studies. "Presente" is a well organised and communicative group under the guidance of Lorena Gomez. "Presente" sponsors important regional infrastructure and humanitarian programs including a safe water program with portable water purifiers. Details of this project at this link >>
We are also assisting with a small side project in the same area to help stabilise a family of children with the provision of safe and habitale living conditions. Details of this project at this link >>
We look forward to a long and productive relationship with this organisation.
Keep updated on these project on the Milonga Para Los Niños Facebook page.
New Kindergarten, San Martin, Salta
We are supporting the organisation "Con el Corazon En Las Manos Ayudemos a Uno Niño" (With heart in hands we help a child) with a project, "A Classroom for My Garden" to build a 20 square metre kindergarten (that's about the size of a small living room) for children in Paraje La Mora, San Martin Salta, Argentina, close to the Bolivian Border. This is their story:
"This project began after our last visit to the school Paraje La Mora, San Martin, Salta (in the impenetrable Chaco-Salta), where we found a kindergarten, with 16 students, where only some had chairs to sit; the room was divided by a curtain dividing the classroom and a bed where the kindergarten teacher sleeps. The teacher remains on site for several weeks, between visits home, a long and arduous drive. The teacher uses the back of the door to the classroom as a blackboard".
Keep updated on this project on the Milonga Para Los Niños Facebook page.
One-Education - an Australian initiative
In 2006 we asked young parents at Civil Los Horneros wha they wanted more than anything. The answer was Education. Their greatest concern was that their children would be left behind in a technological world where they did not have access to basic technology.
Soon after we built a school on-site at "Horneros". It is equipped with PC's that are used for education, both for children and in adult outreach programs.
But we had a bigger dream - to provide children with networked, internet enabled laptops.
One Education is an Australian initiative to develop robust, upgradeable, affordable laptop computers for children that is a brilliant spin-off of the One Laptop per Child program. One Education links to State and National Education Portals. The Argentine Ministry of Education has excellent primary and secondary school portals that schoolchildren can access. One of our Argentine committee members, a school teacher, is ready to implement the program in Buenos Aires in schools where children do not have the resoiurces to access the education portals. The first laptops are planned for delivery in the second half of 2016.
We have been saving for our first deployment of 10 - 20 laptops in late 2016.
Other Projects
Civil Los Horneros
Association Civil los Honeros is a foster home for children in Moreno, Buenos Aires. It is run by a local committee and dedicated family of house moter Elisa. When we found Los Honeros Elisa was catering for 80 children on a drop in basis, plus seven foster children. She was cooking outdoors because they has no stove and no gas. They had little bedding and other necessities. We provided a gas connection and gas for one year, a new bread oven and hot water. With the help of local government and the Buenos Aires Tango scene the house has been completely rebuilt with a separte school and arts studio. The house has consolidated into a self-sustaining home for up to 12 girls with outreach programs for IT, arts and horticulture. We will continue to support Los Horneros on a needs basis.
Hogar S.I.A.N.D.
We were introduced to Hogar SIAND in 2010. The foster mother, Alicia, houses us to 15 children, aged from newborn babies to early teens. Most children are brought to the home by authorities who have removed children from abusive or dangerous family environments. Before outside assistance, the home was very small, with no facilities and an earth floor in the kitchen. Now the home is undergoing planned development to provide a safe environment for the children. We will continue to support SIAND on a needs basis.
Grupo Juvenil Nuevo Horizonte
Grupo Juvenil Nuevo Horizonte was a farm established to take in street kids to teach life skills through organic farming techniques and to protect them ffrom drugs and the vices of the streets.
L.I.F.E. Argentina
An acronym for "We strive for a childhood with happiness and hope" LIFE Argentina is a non-profit organisation that works to bring quality of life to socially marginalised and extremely impoverished children. We have assisted with providing gifts and provisions for the regular "commodores".
Mexico
Brisbane committee member, Stephanie, regularly gives her annual leave to orphanages in Mexico. She uses her professional skill and knowledge as a sports psychologist to help children develop life skills in very harsh social environments.
Brazil and other
From time to time we are presented with one-off opporunities. On two occasions we have assisted friends of Milonga Para Los Niños, including Brisbane dance school Riorhythmics, with projects in Brazilian orphanages. Where we have extra resources we have provided small one-off assistance at the request of members of the Tango community including providing roofing for a school in rural Laos and education resources for schools in Botswana, Africa.