Youth Ambassadors in Solidarity

January 23, 2012

Youth Ambassadors at Biblioteca Popular “Estación de la Lectura”, at Jocolí Viejo, in Mendoza

In the province of Mendoza, Argentina, there is a community library called “Estación de la Lectura” (Reading Station) in the small town of Jocolí Viejo located only 33kms away from the capital city of Mendoza, The neighborhood has no internet, radio, magazines or newspapers, only  has a public telephone on the main road.

A group of six Youth Ambassadors from Argentina who travelled to Washington DC and Tennessee in September 2011 sponsored by the US Embassy, contributed with donations and volunteer assistance to the library.

Pamela Pinciroli, from San Francisco, Córdoba; Joel Sidler from the city of Santa Fé; Juan Pablo Egger Bruno, from Diamante, Entre Ríos; Micaela Deroy from La Banda, Santiago del Estero; Charbel Viñolo Chaca, from Gral. Alvear, Mendoza and Ángela Cassino, from Chacabuco, Buenos Aires accompanied by mentor Paula Belló from San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán  organized a series of activities and donations for about 50 children aged 4 to 15  who normally participate in workshops given at the library.

“Estación de la lectura” offers “informal” workshops by the volunteer  group CUCHU AMU which in the Huarpe language means “Our road.” Workshops help children develop civic responsibility. The Cuchu Amu project is supported by Fundación Solidaridad, an NGO working since 1991 to help reduce poverty in rural areas of Mendoza. Fundación Solidaridad receives support from the Inter American Foundation to promote projects in fields like education, rural tourism and also help small rural entrepreneurs to improve their capacity to gain access to agricultural family-farm products.

About  the Youth Ambassadors Program

The Youth Ambassadors Program is an initiative of the U.S. Embassy in partnership with the organization Partners of the Americas designed to send outstanding Argentine secondary school students from all over the country to the United States for three weeks to learn about leadership and civic engagement. Youth Ambassadors have the opportunity to represent their country and learn more about leadership, while joining an international network of young leaders from the Americas. Upon return to their countries, Youth Ambassadors work to design and implement a community project.