Eradication of child labour Supportive actions Guatemala
The visit to the La Aurora Zoo is an initiative by Telefónica Guatemala’s Volunteer Program. 105 boys and girls, recipients of Proniño grants from Escuela Saquitacaj, San José Poaquil from the Chimaltenango Municipality were invited to enjoy a tour of the park.
Guatemala, 20 April 2011.- Fundación Telefónica through its Telefónica Volunteers program, organized an activity so that 105 boys and girls of the Saquitacaj school, in the municipality of San José Poaquil, in Chimaltenango could visit the La Aurora National Zoo.
The activity took place last Friday, 20 April, at the facilities of the La Aurora Zoo, which is ranked as one of the best in Central America, spanning over 16 blocks of land and gardens, which make it one of the largest lungs in the City of Guatemala.
The mission of the zoo is to ensure and promote the preservation and survival of all animal species, both native to the country or exotic, and to contribute to the recreation of the people of Guatemala, in a natural and stimulating environment.
Telefónica Guatemala Volunteers, aiming to promote this preservationist and caring message among Proniño children, coordinated the activity to provide them with a space in which to learn while having fun, share knowledge and develop activities, turning the visit into a very special moment for every single kid.
The tour through the zoo’s facilities helped build up the excitement among the kids, who were able to learn more about the diversity of nature in our country, enjoyed themselves, and, above all, understood the importance of, and were really motivated to, preserving all animal species and to study more about them.
Besides the tour through the park, Telefónica Volunteers also arranged everything so that the children could attend a show at the Panchorizo theater, and enjoy some mechanical attractions at the park. The children’s joy was evident in their faces, and was reflected in the appreciation messages sent by the Principal, teachers and PRODI personnel to Fundación Telefónica, for the opportunity that they had been offered to take part in a different and fun activity.
The collaboration and involvement of the Volunteers was remarkable at all times. They devoted themselves entirely to caring for the Proniño Program children, who, in order to organize the event were divided into groups of 8 children each, which helped both Telefónica Volunteers and Proniño Program children to share unforgettable moments.
The visit to the zoo started at 09:10 am, when children were allowed into the facilities, visiting the theater at first, to enjoy the 50-min odd presentation. Then they visited the food court with the volunteers, and were treated to a snack by Telefónica Volunteers, to then embark on the tour through the Zoo, to enjoy the diversity of animals it holds. Finally, they were able to enjoy themselves at Esquilandia’s mechanical attractions. The visit ended at 1.30 pm.
Proniño
Proniño’s goal is to contribute to the eradication of child labor by providing schooling for boys and girls. The programme is active in 14 Latin American countries where Telefónica operates, benefiting over 280,000 children and adolescents. To date, the program benefits over 32,500 children in the eleven regions of the country.
