The Minister of Social Development (MIDES), María Inés Castillo, reported this Thursday during the commemoration of International Literacy Day that Panama has taken an important step in the fight against illiteracy, giving literacy to a total of 3,506 people in the country, in the 36 months of his administration.
The statements of the head of this portfolio, were given during the delivery of certificates to collaborators of the Urban and Home Cleaning Authority of Panama (AAUD), who successfully completed the Move for Panama program of MIDES.
“Today’s graduation responds to the commitment of the National Government to promote social and economic development in all social strata, and this includes people who, for various reasons, could not attend a classroom,” said the official. Castle Minister.
The head of the social portfolio added that the program that uses the “I, Yes I Can” method has managed to teach 2,332 women to read and write, most of them from indigenous regions, which shows that this program promotes the development of rural women.
AAUD collaborators received their literacy certificates at the event: Graciela Torres, Zuleika Córdoba, Gerardo Vergara, Adolfo Carrera, Jorge Luis McKay and Aníbal Castañeda.
For his part, the MIDES director of literacy, Carlos A. Contreras, explained that since the program began in June 2007, 79,622 people have become literate. Although this is a considerable number, he recognized that there is still a lot of work to be done.
Contreras announced that currently 155 environments are operating, where 584 people are learning to read and write with the help of 141 volunteer teachers, who donate their time so that these people are inserted into the social development of the country.
