La Loma, August 11, 2020
Despite the difficulties caused by the mandatory quarantine, 500 new students have now completed Cycles I and II for reading, writing, and mathematics competencies as part of the “Alfabetízate, movement in the classroom” project, which has successfully concluded its second phase. Drummond Ltd. develops the project in partnership with Comfacesar.
With the purpose of diminishing illiteracy, facilitating access to education, and having a positive impact on the quality of life of students and their families, 1,000 people have participated in the two phases of the Alfabetizate project in the towns of Agustin Codazzi, Becerril, Chiriguana, El Paso and La Jagua de Ibirico. The second phase of “Alfabetizate, movement in the classroom” has required an investment of more than $527 million pesos.
“This is a program that has generated infinite satisfaction for us. We are really excited to see the students with their certificates, knowing that during the quarantine they were able to adapt to the new technologies and the other strategies we developed to help them continue going to class. The figures show it: while during the early days of the pandemic the participation was 73%, by the end it went up to 91%,” indicated Juan Pablo Arteaga, Vice President of Sustainability at Drummond.
In this respect, the situation itself promoted the development of skills and competencies for managing ICT tools such as Duo Google, Zoom and other video conferencing platforms that were essential for continuing with the education of these participants, who began in-person classes in the second semester of the year 2019.
“ ́Alfabetizate ́ has created a friendly learning environment, in line with the educational needs and cultural requirements of these communities. And we have received resolutions and academic authorizations that support recognition of the program by the educational authorities of Cesar,” said Wilber Mejía, project coordinator for Comfacesar.
Along with the certificate and diploma given to the 500 students who participated in the second phase of “Alfabetizate,” they also received a biosafety kit and were given advice about the importance of self-care for preventing the spread of COVID-19. The strategy is based on the fact that the students have shown they are an excellent source for the transfer of knowledge to their families and communities.
“Thanks to this project by Drummond Ltd. and Comfacesar, I now know how to read and write. Thank you for including us. I hope these projects continue in the region. Thank you once again for the input so we can continue to learn,” stated Gesther Velez, a participant from La Jagua de Ibirico who received the cycle I certificate corresponding to first, second, and third grade of elementary school.
“Alfabetizate, movement in the classroom” contributes toward achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 in favor of quality education. It is also in line with the Comprehensive Development pillar of Drummond’s Corporate Social Responsibility strategy, which includes the goal of promoting local and regional human capital in order to facilitate access to opportunities.
