News
Quibdo Students Receive Remodeled School
September 30, 2009
Over 360 youngsters from Quibdo - in western Colombia - will now have a larger school that will allow them to improve the quality of their education and their wellbeing. It is equally hoped that the new facilities will keep students from dropping out of school. This was possible thanks to the expansion of the Miguel Antonio Caicedo Educational Institution, -- Obapo Campus, Quibdo. The facilities were built with funds provided by the Unites States Agency for International Development (USAID).
This construction is part of USAID activities to benefit the Afro-Colombian population in Quibdo, Tumaco, and Buenaventura. The initiative to funnel resources for the construction of an educational institution for IDP families of African descent is all part of the joint effort between USAID and the Presidency’s Agency for Social Action and International Cooperation (Acción Social), and the agreement reached through the Interagency Housing Committee for the Internally Displaced.
The expansion of the Miguel Antonio Caicedo Educational Institution -- Obapo Campus -- in Quibdo, was the project selected by both the local Mayor’s Office and the community. The campus had a large number of students and only four classrooms to meet the educational needs of 10 grade levels.
Resources provided by USAID, the Quibdo mayor’s office and the community led to the construction of five new classrooms. This helped solve the overcrowding issue, allowing students to learn in a comfortable and spacious environment, and complying with earthquake regulations for seismic-isolated structures. There are also new bathrooms, a playground, a water residue system and a high water tank.
The total cost of the project is well over USD 409.828 divided as follows: USAID USD 248.206 million, the Quibdo Mayor’s office USD 158.183 and the community USD 3.439.