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Lafise Bancentro has been this, the bank saw no profound impact on poverty rates linked to the work it was doing; by 2000 it had decided a change in tactic was needed.
After a search to find a way to generate real and lasting impact, the bank learned about the One Laptop Per Child project and decided to get involved.
The programme to hand out free computers has resulted in higher retention rates of students at school, with 84% of students expressing renewed enthusiasm. The project workers cooperate with educators and parents to make sure that the technology is put to best use. Repair and software updates are also part of the programme to make sure that the laptops are up to date with up-to-date educational platforms installed.
“The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean estimates that at least 12 years of schooling are needed to have an opportunity to exit out of poverty or avoid falling into it. With this in mind, we set a target that our plan needed to start with young children and provide them with an instrument to prevent them from dropping out of school,” says Justo Montenegro, CFO at the bank.
The programme is managed by Fundación Zamora Terán. María Cristiana Delgado, marketing and development coordinator at the charity, is in no doubt about the importance of Lafise Bancentro’s involvement.
“Without their support we wouldn’t be in the position we are now,” she says. “We receive a lot of help from them.”
In 2014 the project reached 121 schools; almost 1,500 volunteers were involved; and it has expanded into other Central American countries and the Caribbean.
A separate learning initiative, the Nicaragua Education Programme, saw 16 more schools join in 2014 and over 32,000 people benefitting.
“Our idea is now a reality,” says Montenegro. “But we are fully aware that there are regions in Nicaragua, the rest of Central America and the Caribbean that are waiting for us to provide them with this tool that we truly trust will have an impact in the near term in reducing the poverty rates. For this, we will remain committed to this programme.”
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Nicaraguan school children receiving free laptops |
