Finish school, create future

Dear friends,

Undoubtedly this was a very challenging year for the whole world and Cimientos was not an exception. Going through the global pandemic implied multiple challenges and several changes in the way we used to work in our Program “Futuros Egresados”. We had to adapt our strategies, update our goals and be able to manage emerging special situations. Despite the complex context, Cimientos was able to quickly adapt and work hard to continue accompanying more than 1900 vulnerable young students during their path through high school.

COVID-19 triggered a deep impact in Argentina, a country which was already going through a serious economic crisis. In order to stop contagion, the Argentine government decreed preventive, compulsory social distancing (quarantine or lockdown) since March 20, 2020. This decision generated a significant drop in economic activity and in the income of the population.

The lockdown forced by COVID -19 specially affected youth who participate in Cimientos programs and their families. Argentina is a very unequal country where a large part of its population has temporary, informal or unregistered jobs. These families are especially affected since their income was directly affected or deteriorated. Other problems these families are facing are overcrowding, lack of essential services, inability to comply with social distancing and health care habits, among others. Finally, to this list of setbacks are added the difficulties related to internet connectivity to fulfill work tasks, training or studies.

Cimientos´ team have been working from the very beginning of the quarantine in order to continue accompanying youth and their families when they need it most. Tutors and mentors contacted students by phone or using virtual platforms, adapting the different mentoring strategies so that they could keep up with their schooling, as well as to bring training and employment opportunities. On the other hand, we have been working to ensure the scholarship that families receive, which in many cases are one of the few incomes they are receiving.

During this year we were able to guarantee to all the participants in the Program their monthly economic scholarship and their personalized mentoring.

We want to specially share with you that during 2020, 502 students finished high school and will be able to project a better future.

All of our achievements would not have been possible without your kind support and donations. We want to specially thank each one of you because we were able to offer more and better opportunities to these students. 

We sincerely hope you all have very happy holidays!

Best regards

Cimientos´Team