The 13th annual "Together for Education" campaign raised more than $2.3 million in support for Aprender y Crecer, thanks to the efforts of a large community of people, including PriceSmart employees and Members, as well as students, parents and teachers at Aprender y Crecer schools.
The campaign, which ran from October 1 through December 24, was an opportunity for PriceSmart Members and partners to show their support for education. During the 2019 campaign, clubs enjoyed visits from students from Aprender y Crecer, who described the impact of the program's books and materials on their educational experience.
In this edition of Connections, we'll hear from some of the club managers who led their members and supporters to reach incredible fundraising goals, all to help their members and fundraising goals, all to help students reach their destiny.
Why do you support the Aprender y Crecer program?
"I know the schools we sponsor, I know the teachers, principals and some of the parents, and I have heard the parents' gratitude for the support received. But the main reason is that I identify with the children because I went to public elementary school and I know what it is like not to have pencils and notebooks or not to be able to go to the bathroom of your school because it is too dirty." - Negdalis López López, Club Manager, Managua, Nicaragua
"I firmly believe that PriceSmart is a company that cares about children and improving the quality of life in communities. I personally feel that there is no better way to be thankful than to help, and this is one reason why the Aprender y Crecer program touches my heart. Although this is only a part of the support, most of it comes from our Members and collaborators who share this same vision of helping children." - Francisco Gramajo, Club Manager, San Pedro Sula, Honduras
Why do PriceSmart employees choose to support the program?
"Every year before starting the program, we visit the schools or bring children to the club to tell their testimonies of what their life was like before and after the program. This action allows our collaborators to have that contact that connects them with the cause and makes them the voices of those children who benefit from the program." - Caridad Fernandez, Club Manager, Bolivar, Dominican Republic
"Because they believe that they can help society in each country. Improving society is a direct part of the development of their own families, and in the different countries where we live. They have been involved in getting to know the schools and the children who have benefited and this also provides them with another vision of the program." - Francisco Gramajo, Club Manager, San Pedro Sula, Honduras
What would you like to say to all the members who donated to this year's club campaign?
"If we want to change our country and have noticeable improvements in the future, we must do it now, by continuing to support a program like ours, a reliable program, with measurements and a defined focus." - Caridad Fernandez, Club Manager, Bolivar, Dominican Republic
"I would tell them that seeing a child's smile when reading a book, and the effort that each family makes to improve the education of their communities, is priceless." - Francisco Gramajo, Club Manager, San Pedro Sula, Honduras
That the help is real, that the program impacts the community, improves the children's opportunities, and prepares them for their next studies. Thank you very much! - Negdalis Lopez Lopez, Club Manager, Managua, Nicaragua
