Pictures of students supported by the Santa Maria Education Fund
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(left) Students from the Institute enjoy an educational excursion to another Reduction, at Jesús, Misiones, to learn more about their history. This is the class of 2002. (right) |
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Students studying Food Technology at the Santa María Institute. This is a one year course, success in which confers a titulo (the title of "Food Technologist") which is recognised all over Mercosur (the South American common market) and a certificate from the Ministry of Education.
You can support the Institute this Christmas by giving a donation on behalf of a friend or relative in our new Gift Card scheme. Click here for details! |
| University students from Santa María, books in hand, get on the 5pm bus that takes them every evening to the Universidad Católica in San Ignacio. The first and the third of these (Milciades, studying Business Administration, and Fredy, studying Law) are funded by SMEF. You can support these university students this Christmas by giving a donation on behalf of a friend or relative in our new Gift Card scheme. Click here for details! |
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| SMEF pays the fares, boarding costs and the exam fees for a student at the Universidad Nacional in San Juan. It is too far away for her to be able to return each night. Nidia is studying Law, and has a particular desire to work for the legal rights of women and children. You can support these university students this Christmas by giving a donation on behalf of a friend or relative in our new Gift Card scheme. Click here for details! |
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| SMEF organises English classes, which are given by first-language English speakers and are free. English is vital for a country to survive in a world of globalisation, and standards in Paraguay are dismally low. This class, which takes place at the Institute, is preparing for the Key English Test set by the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate. The exam is taken in Asunción, at the Anglo school. You can support these English classes this Christmas by giving a donation on behalf of a friend or relative in our new Gift Card scheme. Click here for details! |
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| The harp is the national instrument of Paraguay. In association with the organisation Sonidas de le Tierra, SMEF is part-funding music classes of violin (since last year) and harp (new this year) to recover the wonderful musical tradition of our village that began with the Jesuit missions. You can support these harp classes this Christmas by giving a donation on behalf of a friend or relative in our new Gift Card scheme. Click here for details! |
| Enrique is originally from Santa María, and went to Spain to study agriculture. He is back now and is training campesinos to use more efficient organic techniques, paid for by SMEF. You can support Enrique this Christmas by giving a donation on behalf of a friend or relative in our new Gift Card scheme. Click here for details! |
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| Nilsa, a 15-year-old deaf-mute girl, is in the middle of this photo, at the end of a traditional dance with water jars. Though she cannot hear, she has perfect rhythm, and the dancing helps her to express herself. She comes from an extremely poor family and could never have dreamt of paying for the dance classes or the folk costume without SMEF’s help. | |
| A group of young people take part in a Youth Parliament project to collect second-hand clothes for the poorest: see the poster behind which advertises the Sheltering a Friend collection. Once a month, six young people from Santa María, including Rufino, centre bottom, go up to Asunción to take part in the Parlamento Joven. It has stringent entry requirements, and offers an unparalleled formation of young people for public life. Participation by the poor from the rural areas is essential. |
