Third week Summer Leadership, 2021
The goal of the Summer Camp and ongoing Community Leadership Program is to train the next generation of innovators, leaders, change makers, and social entrepreneurs—the young people who will help solve the greatest challenges of the 21st century.
The residents of La Piedra live in extreme poverty. Around 60% earn less than US$5 per day for lack of employment (not because they do not want to work), and one in three earns less than US$3 per day—if they are lucky enough to earn anything!—which is why we focus on this population group. They survive by raising animals, principally chickens, growing some food for local consumption, such as yucca and other vegetables, and by doing occasional odd jobs (chiripeo). A few of the residents buy potable water, but it is only available in 5-gallon bottles that cost US$1 each. Only 50% of the residents have access to electricity, and there are no telephone lines, Internet, or other types of technology available.
Centro Guanín´s principal concern is to ensure the security and wellbeing of La Piedra´s children and youths. In addition to our educational work, we want to be able to offer all of our people a first aid and general health care center that is as comfortable and efficient as possible, and thus save more lives. We want to have a center of which our community can be proud, where the people can feel that they are the protagonists in their own development and can help to support both their neighbors and their country.