Empowering Poor, Rural Girls in Paraguay

Dear donors,

We are very grateful for your generous support and trust in our work at the Mbaracayú Educational Center. Thanks to your contributions, we have been able to carry out many exciting and impactful activities that benefit our students and our community. In this report, we would like to share with you some of the highlights of our recent achievements.

One of the most remarkable events was the presentation of “ILEX”, a line of artisanal soaps made from yerba mate, by our second-year students. They participated in the Escuela Emprendedora contest, organized by the Fundación Paraguaya, and showcased their products in Asunción. They explained the whole process of soap production and how they came up with the idea from participating in the “Yerba Mate project”, funded by BMZ and executed by the Fundación Moisés Bertoni. Through this project, our students have been involved in various activities to raise awareness about the cultivation and protection of yerba mate as a native species.

Another great achievement was the second place that our female volleyball team won in the departmental round, after being champions in the district round. They competed with great skill and sportsmanship among nine institutions. This participation was part of the project "Sport as a tool for well-being and development and the training of young environmental leaders in the Mbaracayú Biosphere Reserve", which aims to promote physical and mental health, teamwork, leadership, and environmental awareness among our students.

These are just some of the amazing activities that our students are able to do thanks to your support. We are very proud of them and their teachers, who work hard every day to provide them with quality education and opportunities for personal and professional growth. We hope you are proud too, and we invite you to continue supporting us in our mission to empower young women and protect our environment.

Thank you very much!

Jimena, a 1st grade student of the Mbaracayu Educational Center, participated as a finalist in the National Mathematics Olympics, a competition that took place in different stages. Jimena’s prowess with the numerical sciences earned her a spot first in the regional Olympics hosted at Villa Ygatimí, and then advancing through the ranks in the departmental Olympics hosted in Salto del Guairá.

Her effort took her from regional, to departmental, to the National Finals that took place in Encarnacion. 

When asked about how she felt when climbing upwards towards the finals, she answered: 

“I feel the support of the people and I feel so grateful for it. My family and my classmates have helped me so much. I am happy that I can put my love for mathematics to good use and represent my school and where I come from on a national level”

Like Jimena, the Mbaracayu Educational Center hosts many girls from rural backgrounds that seek to expand their horizons through education.