Argentina

Children, teachers and parents in front of the new Day Care Center "El Sembrador" Mother with Child Faciltiy in "La Union".

El Sembrador

Behind the Ezeiza international airport of Buenos Aires, Argentina you will find "La Union", an underserved neighbourhood, with a population of over 5,000. Most inhabitants relocated from the more rural areas where they could not make a living and the conditions are extremely poor. However, the situation in La Union is not much better. Making a living to support a family is a daily struggle. The rate of unemployment is over 50%.
 
In 1991, the "Juergen Wahn Foundation" in association with "Kindernothilfe," established "El Sembrador," a child care facility where now more than 50 children, mothers and pregnant women receive a daily meal.
 
"El Sembrador" houses 30 children. This facility is looked after by the "Evangelic Church of La Plata." The older children and graduates from "La Union" are given the opportunity to work in nearby factories where they can learn a trade.

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"Tino" in his organic garden.

"El Sembrador" does not rely solely on foreign donations. Fundraising activities are on-going and include the sale of postcards and miscellaneous items at a local second-hand shop.

For the purchase of sewing machines and used computers the Juergen Wahn Foundation donated 5,000 Euros in 2003.

An organic garden - a symbol of simple basics. Homegrown vegetables.

Donation Keyword: El Sembrador, Argentinia

Cristina Kilian (2nd on right) and boardmembers in Soest,
Germany, July 2003.

Cristina Kilian, Deacon and Director of "El Sembrador":
 
" Our main goal is to provide basic education for the children and further the education of the adults. There are many ways in which the population we reach can benefit and learn to become independant. For example, learning how to grow their own vegetables or bake their own bread.

Once a week the team members meet and discuss their work results together with the Project manager before going ahead with the next project. At the beginning it was difficult to motivate the adults to make decisions on their own. They lack the positive experience of having succesfully accomplished projects through self responsibility in the past. Most of them were unemployed for years and they had given in to their circumstance, and to make a living through whatever was given to them from the Government or private donations. Confidence in their own capability and creativity must be nurtured and developed in order to blossom. "

Those whom we know, admire, and trust are the foundation of our participation in foreign countries.

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