Additional Educational Intervention Helps Students in Panama Graduate from High School
In 2024 Unity 4 Orphans began funding evening classes for high school students who have dropped out of school to work and provide necessary income for their families. These evening classes give young adults opportunities to break cycles of generational poverty by completing their education.
Our partners at Juntos Podemos in Panama City run a program for about 100 children who live in dangerous parts of the inner city and often have absent or unreliable guardians. This grassroots organization has been offering kids a safe place to play and learn for over 17 years and we’re thrilled to see our partnership grow.
Partners in Panama Give Inner City Kids a Place to Belong
We highlighted the importance of the work Juntos Podemos is doing under the supervision of Program Director Enrique in our end-of-year program series. This vital outreach for children in Panama City spans multiple U4O programs with educational, emotional, nutritional, and spiritual support.
We try to help our students go on to college and if we need to give them additional academic tutoring after school or on Saturdays, we do that with them. We teach them about self-respect and how to take care of themselves.
–Enrique G., Program Director, Juntos Podemos
People in Panama City often refer to a “lost generation” of parents who don’t know how to raise children, leaving most homes with a single mother or another relative in charge. The resulting lack of parental guidance and love affects kids’ emotional development and many older siblings drop out of school to raise their younger brothers and sisters.
Night School Helps Teen Dropouts Graduate High School
As the situation for vulnerable children in Panama worsens with a lack of a consistent education, the cycle of poverty continues and with it, a lack of hope. Enrique and his dedicated educators and volunteers are embedded in this high-risk community and have established relationships with local kids, teens, and young adults.
Without a high school education, a young adult will have limited job opportunities. Even though their family may need them to bring in income in the present, dropping out of school will prevent them from getting ahead later in life. Unity 4 Orphans is investing in the futures of these students by helping fund Juntos Podemos’ evening school because we know how important an education is in the lives of vulnerable children.
–Caitlin Snyder, Engagement Director
This year we began facilitating night school for students forced to drop out to earn income and help feed their families. Under the tutelage of qualified educators, about 50 teenagers who have fallen behind are being empowered to achieve a high school education, the first step to breaking free of poverty.
Instilling a Vision for the Future in Panamanian Youth
Providing evening classes for teens in Panama is not only in line with U4O’s values to guide vulnerable children to transformation in every area of their lives, but it also stays true to the heart of Juntos Podemos’ mission. Through relational consistency and a focus on education they’re lifting students out of the seemingly hopeless circumstances they see around them.
We want to help kids go to college. U4O values the transformative educational lifespan, and these evening classes in Panama are a new initiative for 2024.
–Joe Brandi, U4O Founder and Missions Director
We look forward to seeing the children we serve in Panama grow and transform their futures by graduating high school, attending university, and securing well-paying jobs. Join us in taking this important step forward in our campaign to help children in Panama escape generational poverty.