MILAN – As part of their commitment to promote quality education in the coffee-growing communities of Nicaragua, Seeds for Progress Foundation together with Mercon Coffee Group, inaugurate the third development center as part of the Cultivating Education Program; an initiative that contributes to the prevention of child labor in coffee producing regions.
This new center opens at a community level at the Violeta Barrios School in Nueva Guinea, providing service to children of coffee working families of the area. This school joins the program as part of the 6 “Cultivating Education” centers that will be opening this year with the purpose of providing care to more than 400 children during the coffee harvest.
“Cultivating Education is a program that contributes to the economic and social development of the country’s coffee communities by offering free educational attention to the children of working families who participate in the coffee harvest, with a total investment of U$ 317,000 dollars for the creation of these integral development centers in Nueva Guinea and Jinotega in Nicaragua”, shared Rosa Rivas, Director of Seeds for Progress Foundation.
Seeds for Progress Foundation has been present in the Nueva Guinea area since 2013 as part of its efforts to promote quality education in coffee growing regions. The Violeta Barrios School has been sponsored by Seeds for Progress Foundation since 2017 with contributions in infrastructure, school materials, teacher training and support for strategies that strengthen reading and writing in the first grades of primary education.
Thanks to the implementation of the Cultivating Education Program, starting this year, the Violeta Barrios School will have the capacity to serve up to 50 children whose parents participate in the coffee harvest. As part of the program, this school was provided with didactic materials according to the different needs and age groups, in order to execute all the nutrition, health, and protection components of the program.
Additionally, the project included the expansion of the school infrastructure with a kitchen, storage room, and dining room area, as well as the improvement of sanitary ware.
“The development of the Cultivating Education program and the opening of these educational centers, which open during the harvest season, are part of the commitment of Seeds for Progress Foundation and Mercon Coffee Group to continue transforming lives in coffee-growing communities by offering alternatives that support the prevention of child labor in these areas,” said Rosa Rivas, Director of Seeds for Progress Foundation.
During 2020, Seeds for Progress Foundation in alliance with Mercon Coffee Group, benefited more than 5,000 students and 340 teachers in 24 schools in Nicaragua. It also invested 1.65 million dollars through the implementation of its five education programs that contribute to the different levels of student training.
All programs executed by the foundation are accompanied by an infrastructure and technology component to offer quality education with innovative methodologies.
About Seeds for Progress Foundation
Seeds for Progress Foundation is a non-profit organization focused in providing quality education to coffee growing communities in Nicaragua and Guatemala. It promotes quality and access to education, which makes it possible to contribute to sustained economic growth, creating opportunities, and improving the quality of life of people: students, teachers, and families.
About Mercon Coffee Group
Mercon Coffee Group is a vertically integrated global green coffee supplier with expertise that spans the entire supply chain, from farming and production to sourcing and sales, logistics, and risk management. It has 7 decades of experience and is present on three continents. Its operation in Nicaragua is represented by CISA Exportadora, a leading export company in the country.
