- More than fifty people benefit directly and indirectly from the program, which won a Social Value Award in 2020
- Educational reinforcement for children, digital literacy workshops, empowerment and support for adults, and the delivery of food are the most important actions
A total of 60 people from Icod de los Vinos, Garachico, and San Juan de la Rambla benefit directly and indirectly from the project developed by the Association for the Promotion of Training, Employment, Information, and Development of Northern Tenerife (Afedes) to offer help and improve the quality of life of families in vulnerable situations as a result of the pandemic.
This initiative, which was launched last February and will continue until the end of this month, has been promoted by Fundación Cepsa as part of its 2020 Social Value Awards, and includes an extensive program of actions.
Educational reinforcement through training workshops for children and assistance for families in the use of new technologies so that parents can take on the task of monitoring and support and lessen the digital divide are some of the actions that have been implemented by Afedes thanks to the Social Value Award that they received in the last edition.
The initiative also includes other aspects, such as the overall development and inclusion of families in society and employment through empowerment workshops, in addition to covering their basic food needs.
The head of Fundación Cepsa in the Canary Islands, Belén Machado, and one of the company’s promoters of volunteering, Laura Hernández, got to know 'in situ' the workshops that are held both at the Afedes headquarters and at CEIP La Vega, in Icod de los Vinos, at a meeting in which they were joined by the president of the association, Catalina de Lorenzo-Cáceres, and the head of the Employment and Quality Department, Sofía Sánchez.
The visit was the first of five that Fundación Cepsa plans to make to the winning projects of the 2020 Social Value Awards, which went, in addition to Afedes, to Aspercan, Amate, Atelsam, and Funcasor, to learn about their progress and the work done by the different organizations.
On behalf of Fundación Cepsa, Belén Machado emphasized the work done by Afedes to improve the quality of life of people from the north of the island in vulnerable situations by committing to their overall development. In doing so, they are contributing to social inclusion, promoting equal opportunities, and helping to mitigate the deficiencies that emerged as a result of the pandemic. “It is essential for families to turn to education as a way out of poverty, and Afedes is helping them intensively to achieve this," she explained.
Catalina de Lorenzo-Cáceres emphasized the importance of the award, which has been "an injection of energy for Afedes professionals, precisely at a time like the pandemic when we did not know how to continue addressing existing social needs", and highlighted the support provided by Fundación Cepsa to the municipalities in the north of the island.
She also referred to the great reception given to the project, which focuses on serving a very disadvantaged segment of the population that has been affected even more by the loss of employment during the COVID-19 crisis.
She also highlighted the work being done to bolster the children's education while, in the case of adults, emphasis has been placed on fundamental aspects such as self-esteem, empowerment, and awareness of gender equality.
Support workshops and other actions
In addition to providing homework support, the educational reinforcement workshops for children, organized in two different training groups, focus on other aspects, such as the development of study techniques. These aspects are supplemented by a commitment to digital literacy, aimed at the use of digital tools in school and information searches, and the responsible use of new technologies.
The actions for adults are aimed at addressing the digital divide, by focusing on learning the most common office automation tools, such as those linked to administrative procedures, while at the same time emphasizing the creation of support networks.
Another of the aspects addressed with adults has revolved around empowerment and awareness of gender equality, insisting on factors such as motivation and self-esteem, communication, and assertiveness.
In addition to training, the program has helped to cover the basic needs of the most disadvantaged families through the delivery of food and masks, and has also provided guidance and advice on the resources available for accessing social assistance and scholarships.