Educational Couples, a connection with Latin American teachers

The Fundación Comparte is committed to remote connection and comes with a program that crosses borders, called 'Educational Couples'. A project that consists of uniting a teacher from our country with a teacher from the countries of Latin America where the Red Comparte operates: Argentina, Honduras, Chile, Ecuador and Nicaragua, in which they work with a total of approximately fifteen thousand children, and where they have contact with a large number of teachers.

The Red Comparte is made up of eight non-profit organizations, spread across the five Latin American countries mentioned, and promotes the rights of boys and girls in Latin America.

A project born to give hope

The project came after the consequences of the pandemic and confinement on Latin American children were detected. South America has suffered the longest confinements in the world and, from Comparte, they explain that it is an issue that caused them concern, as a large number of girls had been abandoned by the state and schools, due to the imposition of distance education. However, the teaching staff has also suffered from these consequences.

"We did a study and realized that the teachers also had a very difficult time", says Philippe de Dinechin, president of the Fundación Comparte. This is when 'Educational Couples' was born.

The pairing aims to connect two teachers so that they can share experiences and pedagogical knowledge and, from a fee of at least twelve euros each month, provide the necessary resources for Latin American schools to carry out classes, attend the difficulties and repairs of the facilities, to facilitate pedagogical material and food for children.

Thanks to these contributions, it will be possible to help the teacher with whom you have connected and to be able to acquire essential resources and materials for the teachers and students of the schools.

The consequences of Covid-19 on children

According to the Fundación Comparte, the pandemic has had a serious impact on education and has caused great inequality among children. "With the closure of the schools, we realized that the students were suddenly abandoned", says Dinechin. Many of them found themselves alone at home, with little computer equipment and internet, making it difficult or impossible to follow a distance education. According to UNICEF, in Latin America, at least one in three children were unable to access distance education when schools were closed.

The situation of confinement has also had negative effects on the child's development and on the psycho-emotional field. Thanks to the report 'Impact of confinement on Latin American children', prepared by Fundación Comparte, it is stated that it has caused a huge school delay, an increase in sleep disorders, stress, anxiety and depression, the growth of domestic and gender violence, decrease in social activities, among others. That is why 'Educational Couples' wants to combat the consequences of Covid-19.

An initiative that is just beginning

The project has just been born and, according to the president of the Fundación Comparte, first of all, it must be made known: “During the first days of the year we contacted more than three hundred teachers here, to explain the project to them”. The idea is to create the connection, but from Fundación Comparte will not control how the relationship progresses, it will be completely free. What is intended is a group to share and invite, once a month, all the participating teachers of 'Educational Couples'.

The collaborator of our country will receive the profile of the teacher from Latin America when the couple is formed. There will be an exchange of e-mails so that the two people can communicate freely, and at least three times a year, information will be received from the Latin American NGO to which the couple belongs.

"They have a lot to share. In Latin America, for example, there are very interesting pedagogical methods, just like here", says Philippe de Dinechin. He added that it was also important for teachers to raise awareness of the state of education in each country. Especially the conditions in Latin America: the difficulties that children face in getting to school, the lack of material…

The Fundación Comparte works with approximately fifteen thousand children in the five Latin American countries where the Comparte Network operates. Its president tells us an example: in Ecuador, they perform in a neighborhood of Quito, Chilibulo, in a school of two hundred students. In Honduras, they work in fifteen public schools. "Money is always needed to support teachers' salaries, materials, repairs, etc", he says.