We are presenting to you the project „Let´s give them a better future“ which will make it possible for you to contribute towards the development of the region of San José del Boquerón in Santiago del Estero.

Youth education is beneficial to all society. Not only is it essential to one´s personal growth, it also has an impact on the whole family. Despite the fact that most young people don´t have the opportunity to return to Boquerón because of the lack of working possibilities in the region, they still have a better future ahead in other regions as far as fulfillment of their professional and personal lives is concerned. The results of this will be multiplied in the next generations, having in mind the fact that those who have studied will do their best to encourage their siblings and/or children to study as well.

These young people can study thanks to people like you. We are grateful for your generous help. We in the Boquerón Association are convinced that those who give, also receive. We all learn from the people from Boquerón – from their dignity, their ability to overcome difficulties, their way of understanding life. We hope that this experience will also enrich your lives.

In 1975 there were no more than 12 primary schools in the approximate area of 14.000 square km, which means one school for every 1.166 square km. Most of the school buildings were built as the so-called „ranchos“ (dwellings made of clay with straw roofs). The children would walk long distances to get to school (there were no bicycles at that time) and afterwards return home without having eaten. Apart from the distance, they had to endure either oppressive heat or extreme coldness in the short winter period. Poorly nourished, without any school aids and awareness about the importance of education, the children would not attend school at all or would leave it in the third or fourth grade so that they could work together with their parents in textile production, harvests and other seasonal work in the surrounding provinces.

The children and their parents fail to recognize any advantages of education. In their isolated living conditions they cannot find any practical use for reading, writing and other skills. The situation is made worse by the fact that in the time of harvests, the whole families leave to work in other provinces. This definitely cannot improve their living conditions. As a result, 90 percent of the adults have not completed the primary level of education. Moreover, the primary level of education suffers from insufficient numbers of teachers, who are often unqualified, or lack teaching material.

In the course of the last thirty years of the existence of our project, 15 primary schools have been founded, providing a six-year education to children. Gradually, permission from local ministry of education was obtained which enabled the construction of rooms suitable for teaching (all made of brick). From 1995 lighting using solar energy has been installed in most school buildings. The teachers can thus work also in the evening using light that is free and not harmful.

In the present area of Boquerón, which has been reduced in comparison with its original size, there are 23 schools. Each school covers an area with the radius of approximately 7km. None of the schools is a parish school – they all belong to provincial administration. The schools receive aid that comes from donations and that covers maintenance expenses, teaching material and other school aids.

The schools are of great contribution to local settlements: the knowledge gained by the inhabitans, the union of the families, dignified growth of the children, projects in which the whole community is involved, children´s games, school and community celebrations, etc.

What is more, each new school means also a new school canteen where children often get their only meal of the day. The state does contribute to the running of the canteens, however, the amount per child and only for twenty days a month is so low that it is not sufficient to cover the basic needs for the nourishment of the schoolchildren. The school canteens are run together with the pre-school canteens (for children aged 2-6). Groups of mothers take it in turns to prepare the meals.

In 2005 the Ministry of Education of the province Santiago del Estero opened the third level of primary education (grades 7,8, and 9) in three schools in this area (in Manga Bajada, Santo Domingo Pellegrini, and El Ceibal). All the other schools terminate at the 6th grade as before. Due to the great distance, some children do not attend school and others, that live for example 15km away from school, stay in the school area from Monday to Friday. However, the schools do not have any dormitories, so accommodation for these children must be saught among local families.

In four schools from the area (in Manga Bajada, Piruaj Bajo, El Ceibal, and Santo Domingo Pellegrini) a pre-school grade was opened (a five-year kindergarten).

In these new institutions, the state covers the salaries of the teachers and partially, the reconstruction of the school buildings. Nevertheless, the budget does not cover teaching material and the needs of individual schoolchildren.

From the very beginnings of the parish activities we have always been convinced that the real betterment and improvement of the living conditions of the people is closely linked to their access to education. Nowadays, thanks to the financial support of several groups of contributors in Argentina and other countries (Spain, Czech Republic, Switzerland), we support the necessities of a number of children and young people at different stages of their school attendance.

· School No. 1176 Santo Domingo Copo (between 45 – 50 pupils, 2 teachers)- 9km from Boquerón

The school canteen is being taken care of by mothers who take it in turns to prepare lunches for children. Most of the time they prepare „guiso“ or „cocido“ (traditional dishes with meat and vegetables) to which they add anything that is left.

A programme for scholarships was initiated almost twenty years ago to assist students that would like to attend high school or university and whose families are not able to support them economically. These young people have to relocate and live in distant areas.

The parish has already provided scholarships for almost five hundred young people during five year or longer periods of study.

When we initiated this programme we were faced with difficulties in trying to convince the parents to allow their children to study, since it was not common for children to leave their homes or travel. The parents did not realize all the advantages that this would bring in return.

They prefered to have their children harvesting with them as they believed this was more profitable. That attitude has changed and now they greatly value education.There are so many that would like to go away to study, that their number must be limited due to a insufficient means.

Education is a boost to the real growth of these young people. It is not only of personal benefit for them but also for their families. Although the majority do not return to Boqueron due to the lack of work, they have greater opportunities of finding work anywhere or in any province they may choose to live and are better educated. The effect multiplies itself in the next generations because he who has studied wants his brothers and later his sons to have access to education.

At the moment there are several teachers and school directors, as well as four nurses who have received financial aid from the Parish, who are now working in the area.

A scholarship amounts to a monthly sum of 950 Czech crowns per month, in other words, 11,400 Czech crowns annually.

If you decide to sponsor a student you may decide to cover the total amount, with the advantage that he/she will be “your student”, or you may cover only a part of the expenses.

If you cover only a part, it is possible to be responsible for example for the accommodation expenses (500 crowns per month or 6,000 crowns per year) or for food and extra expenses for studies (financial assistance for clothing, books, transport, medical care, etc.). This would amount to 450 crowns monthly or 5,400 crowns per year).

You may contact us at telephone 608 22 76 86, e-mail address boqueron.cz@gmail.com, or by writing to the following address:

You will receive a document presenting several young people and schools that are momentarily waiting to be sponsored and a booklet containing all the information concerning sponsoring. After you have selected one of the young people and have informed Boqueron s.o., we will sign a sponsoring contract with you, which we will have already sent, specifying the obligations of Boqueron and yours.

Each sponsor receives the following:

Relating to the children

• An annual report about the child,

• information about the school grades

• about happenings in his/her life and familys’ life

• at least one letter yearly from the sponsored child, in order to get to become better acquainted with him/her.

• The financial annual report from Boqueron s.o., with details of the use of the contributions.

•An annual report from the parish of San José del Boquerón, where you will be provided with details of the projects that are under way in the child’s or school’s community and the evolution of culture and life in the area.

Relating to the school:

· Information on the ongoing of the school.

· General information pertaining to the advancement in the children’s lives.

· A financial report with details on the amount of money received by the school from Boqueron s.o. (Prague) and for what purposes the money has been used.

· At least one annual letter from the children and their teachers.

· The annual financial report from Boqueron s.o. and the annual report from the parish of San José del Boquerón (see above)

Boqueron s.o. will translate the written material to English for you.

In the practical information booklet which you will receive if you decide to become a sponsor, we will explain how you can send your contribution.

If you would like to make an anonymous donation for the education of a child, without directly sponsoring one of the children, you may do it through the following bank account: Raiffeisen Bank, è. úètu: 1031040384/5500 variabilní symbol 1110

If you would like to cooperate with the project for aid to schools without directly sponsoring one of the schools, you may do it through the following bank account: Raiffeisen Bank, è. úètu: 1031040384/5500 variabilní symbol 2220

If you would like to send a special present to your sponsored child, we recommend that you send a small present or a letter. We will talk about it more in depth in the „communication“ chapter.

Firstly, it is important for us that you be informed of how your donation is utilized.

Your interest in maintaining a relationship with your child or with the school which you sponsor will be of great satisfaction to us. We hope that you can build a relationship with the sponsored child, his family and his community.

Not only will the sponsored child write to you regularly, we also encourage you to do the same. The sponsored child will be immensely pleased to receive your letters. All the attention that you dedicate to him/her will be a valuable moral support in the slow and difficult process of development. And it is always very exciting to receive something from a distant country.

We hope that you will get to know each other more, through the exchange of post cards, letters, photographs, drawings, including visits. In this way you will be able to explain the reasons for endeavoring to improve his situation.

At Boquerón we will gladly translate your respective letters to Czech, Spanish and English and we will facilitate your remittances. You will receive detailed information in the the practical information booklet if you decide to sponsor a child.

Boqueron s.o. is looking for volunteers that can assist us with translations and that will cooperate in promotion campaigns as well as inform the public about our work. We sincerely thank all the help we may obtain. If you would like to receive more information, please don’t hesitate to contact us.