Thanks to your continued donations to Project Alto Vera, our project goal of $2000 per year has been providing tuition, room, board, and transportation costs for Ignacio Cristaldo during his five-year program at Universidad del Pacifico in the capital of Asuncion, Paraguay.
With generous donations, Ignacio has received funding through his fourth year, with only one more year to go. He will complete his fourth academic year in December 2010 and is scheduled to graduate in December 2011. He has been competing with and studying alongside students raised in the capital and who attended private schools, while he attended a public school some distance from his home in rural Paraguay. His success to date is an outstanding accomplishment and an indication of his intelligence and devotion to his studies.
One year of study in Asuncion costs $2000, and your donation now will support Ignacio in 2011 during his final year.
Project Alto Vera aims to provide a university scholarship to a youth in the district of Alto Vera in Paraguay who is a proven leader and who has taken active interest in bettering himself and the health of his community. The district of Alto Vera is located in Itapua, the southernmost province in Paraguay. One of the province’s poorest districts, Alto Vera is home to 11,000 inhabitants who are mostly farmers. The entire district is served by a single health post staffed by one doctor and one nurse. Despite this lack of medical services, health educators are a low priority for the district’s budget.
The most common illnesses in Alto Vera (diarrhea, dehydration, malnutrition, and sexually transmitted infections) can all be prevented through education. By sponsoring a community leader who has shown interest in health education and promotion, FIMRC is furthering the local knowledge base and enabling the scholarship recipient to better support his community in the years to come.
Ignacio’s background:
Ignacio Cristaldo is one of twelve children from a family of farmers. Growing up in the district of Alto Vera, he was able to complete education through the sixth grade in his community of Poncho, and then commuted 16 kilometers daily to his secondary and high school in Coronay. The completion of high school, a notable feat in his community, strained the family financially due to tuition costs and lost time working in the fields.
Upon completing high school in 2005, he enrolled in a computer class to expand his skills. He was active in his community as president of his church group and has led health and environmental education camps for children in Poncho during their school vacations. In August 2005, Ignacio was selected to travel to Paraguay’s capital to participate in a conference about HIV. The purpose of the conference was not only to inform the participants about the virus, but also to give them the needed tools to educate people in their own communities.
Upon his return, Ignacio gave health lectures to groups around his state, educating over 50 people about HIV. He also spoke numerous times on a weekly radio show about the topic of HIV/AIDS. In the rural area where Ignacio lives, few know about HIV/AIDS, which makes Ignacio’s health education work truly invaluable.
Through the power of knowledge and prevention, Ignacio’s education will have a significant impact on his community.
To make a tax-deductible contribution to Ignacio’s education, please mail a check made payable to “FIMRC” to:
FIMRC
1518 Walnut St.
Suite 1504
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Please remember to specify “Project Alto Vera” on the memo line of your check so the donation can be processed correctly. For further information on this project or how you can get involved, please e-mail
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or call +888.211.8575.
