Improving education in Venezuela through the Cor Unum fund

  • Commercial Secretariat Santo Domingo Savio - Colegio Santa Magdalena Sofia Barat of Caracas
    Commercial Secretariat Santo Domingo Savio - Colegio Santa Magdalena Sofia Barat of Caracas
  • Commercial Secretariat Santo Domingo Savio - Colegio Santa Magdalena Sofia Barat of Caracas
    Commercial Secretariat Santo Domingo Savio - Colegio Santa Magdalena Sofia Barat of Caracas
  • Commercial Secretariat Santo Domingo Savio - Colegio Santa Magdalena Sofia Barat of Caracas - Before
    Commercial Secretariat Santo Domingo Savio - Colegio Santa Magdalena Sofia Barat of Caracas - Before
  • Commercial Secretariat Santo Domingo Savio - Colegio Santa Magdalena Sofia Barat of Caracas - After
    Commercial Secretariat Santo Domingo Savio - Colegio Santa Magdalena Sofia Barat of Caracas - After
  • The El Peñón Community Center for Popular Education
    The El Peñón Community Center for Popular Education
  • The El Peñón Community Center for Popular Education
    The El Peñón Community Center for Popular Education
  • The "Anatilde Salcedo" Fe y Alegría School
    The "Anatilde Salcedo" Fe y Alegría School
  • The "Anatilde Salcedo" Fe y Alegría School
    The "Anatilde Salcedo" Fe y Alegría School
  • The "Anatilde Salcedo" Fe y Alegría School
    The "Anatilde Salcedo" Fe y Alegría School
  • Cover - book of letters from students
    Cover - book of letters from students

The Province of Venezuela describes how the Society’s Cor Unum fund has made a real difference in the lives of children, young people, and adults at three of the educational institutions they support.

The donation requested and received from the Cor Unum fund in its fourth round, $11,500, was destined, first of all, to contribute to the hygiene of each educational institution, and this permanent cleaning of the spaces has supported our educational initiatives and the permanence of the school enrollment of each educational center.

  1. In addition, the Commercial Secretariat Santo Domingo Savio - Colegio Santa Magdalena Sofia Barat of Caracas received $4,000 USD to repair the roof of the school.
  2. The El Peñón Community Center for Popular Education has received $3,500 USD for training spaces and programs.
  3. The "Anatilde Salcedo" Fe y Alegría School in Monagas State received $4,000 USD for the maintenance and painting of its classrooms and has purchased office supplies that will last for two school years.

Each of these schools was able to successfully finish the school year in June 2022, and start the new school year, from September 2022 to June 2023, with more hope and good spirit in the educational tasks. Thanks to the Cor Unum fund, we have had two school years with repaired structures and the necessary hygienic conditions, which has allowed us to offer warm, high-quality educational spaces.

Each educational space has received its contribution for the health care of each member of the institution, and has distributed basic school materials and stationery, in addition to providing food and training incentives for the teachers, cleaning staff, and administrative personnel who support these schools. These resources have helped to reduce school dropout rates and supported some students who have great economic needs, thus ensuring that they remain at school.

  • The Commercial Secretariat Santo Domingo Savio-Colegio Santa Magdalena Sofia Barat of Caracas was able to fix leaks and humidity in the institution’s roofs, allowing it to avoid other structural maintenance problems when the rains come every August. These repairs have had an impact on the health of the entire educational community. This educational center has an enrollment of 180 students in adult education, 99 men and 81 women, who hope to obtain not only their high school diplomas, but also technical degrees in commerce and administrative services, notably in accounting, so that they can enter the labor market with better possibilities for the future.
  • The El Peñón Community Center for Popular Education has provided training and recreational spaces for teachers to reduce the levels of uncertainty and anxiety generated by COVID in the town, and has had an impact on the educational initiatives of our teachers. It also maintains training programs with a floating population: high school for adults, job training, school support, and a library and computer center. Finally, it contributes to community organization and socio-political education.
  • The "Anatilde Salcedo" Fe y Alegría School has been able to serve 400 students, ranging from kindergarten to the 6th grade of middle school, with the purchase of biosafety materials (such as soaps, chlorine, and alcohol), office supplies (such as reams of paper and powder for recharging toner), 2 CPUs, 2 WiFi antennas, paints, brushes, and rollers. The classrooms where classes are taught were painted, CPUs were provided to the administration office and to the Education for Work coordination office. In addition, at certain times they have provided meals for the entire educational community.

During these years of the pandemic, the private educational institutions in Venezuela have not received governmental resources to help with their maintenance. Also, parents and representatives have not had money available to help with the maintenance of these schools.  The Cor Unum fund has helped these educational institutions open with better conditions, structures, and supplies.  The repairs made will last for a long time and will ensure a long period of peace of mind regarding the maintenance of the schools’ infrastructure, and this has encouraged our hope in the long-term effects of our educational initiatives in these contexts.

In addition to refurbishing the three educational centers, US$3,000 of the fund was used to provide emotional and financial support to fifteen students linked to these educational centers. These students of different levels have been able to finish one of their studies thanks to the Cor Unum Fund in its third and fourth round. Three students have been able to finish their 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade of elementary school; four other students have completed their 3rd to 6th grade of elementary school; three are in 1st and 2nd grade of elementary school; four students are finishing high school and one is in the middle of her university studies.

Read the book with letters that these students wrote at Christmas about how they experienced their educational process below (in Spanish).

Watch a video about the experience of the El Peñón Community Center for Popular Education below.

Thanks to the Cor Unum Fund, we have been able to reduce school dropout rates by providing school supplies and financial aid to families in extreme need.

La mejora de la educación en Venezuela a través del fondo Cor Unum

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