El Manguaré focuses on the development of children living in Iquitos, Peru’s largest jungle town in the Amazon basin.
Many children in Iquitos live in poverty. By combatting illiteracy, El Manguaré tries to break the vicious circle of poverty. The Peruvian team, led by Yolanthe van de Graaff, works energetically to achieve this objective.
To enable and support this work, a team in Holland takes care of the publicity, fundraising and the recruiting of volunteers. Mariëlle Pepels, who recently returned from Iquitos, has now joined the Dutch team of volunteers.
Take a look at the challenges El Manguaré faces:
The 4 projects of El Manguaré
From the start in 2009 El Manguaré has developed a successful formula which is based on four targets. That is why the program is split up into four projects.
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I exist and go to School:
After having informed parents about the benefits of birth registration, El Manguaré organizes mass enrollment days. Only with proper identity papers is education (and health care) accessible.
During their campaigns El Manguaré comes across many uneducated and undocumented children who are helped to go or return to school. -
Quality improvement of education:
El Manguaré supports local schools with educational material and practical training for their teachers with the aim of improving the educational level of the school.
Each year it also organizes five workshops in maths, language and teacher training for large groups of teachers from local schools. -
Our Preschool — El Manguaré:
El Manguaré helps free of charge children that have significant educational deficits or other learning disabilities and prepares them for first grade state school.
In addition these students, most of whom come from poor dysfunctional families, receive supplementary food, medical care and free medical Insurance.
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Early Stimulation:
In her work with three-to-seven-year-olds (and their parents), El Manguaré makes use of the Suzuki method to encourage early social, emotional and creative development.
More info on our projects
Meet the Team
See howyou can help
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Structural and sustainable improvements
The aim is to pass on as much knowledge and as many responsibilities as possible to principals and teachers as well as to parents and local and government authorities.
A local school is always the starting point of the turnaround. For a period of three years El Manguaré focuses on a specific disadvantaged neighborhood in Iquitos. The team improves access to and quality of education, meanwhile making sure that all children are provided with identity papers.
After these three years work in this particular neighborhood comes to a close. Although El Manguaré will continue to give some post- engagement assistance, the team will move on to another disadvantaged neighborhood to set up the same activities, profiting from the experience it has gained.
