DCF Activities March 2025

Dear Friends,

We are happy to reconnect with you! In this update, we share stories of resilience, collaboration, and hope - from helping children express their emotions in a safe environment to reigniting the magic of community cinema, even in the face of unexpected challenges. Each of these experiences reminds us that true community is built not just in moments of ease, but especially when things do not go as planned. 

We hope you will enjoy reading,

 The DCF team

Building School Community

At Amparito del Buen Pastor School, we’ve started a program to support children, teachers, and parents to work through challenges and create a safer, more caring environment. This initiative was created to address conflicts and build stronger, healthier relationships in the school community.

Children often struggle with expressing their feelings. Maria[1], who is 11 years old shared with us: “Sometimes you just want a place where you can cry in peace.” Together, we held workshops where children could explore emotions like loss and grief in a safe space. Ten-year-old Gabriela said: “When you lose someone, it hurts, and you can’t say anything to them anymore. They will never be here again.” 

In February, we also held a workshop for teachers to help them support students during difficult emotional moments. Parents were invited to a meeting where they shared the stress of their daily lives and expressed their need for spaces to talk and receive support.

This program will continue throughout the year, helping to build stronger connections and improve emotional well-being for everyone in the school community. As Marco put it, “I like it when they come, because it makes me think about myself and how I feel.” Together, we are creating a school where everyone feels cared for and understood.

[1] For privacy reasons we have changed the names.

Positive Results at Salazar Gómez School

At Eduardo Salazar Gómez School, the community’s efforts to reduce violence and create a healthier, more supportive environment have made a noticeable difference. Over the past months, we've all worked together to build spaces for open dialogue for both students and parents. These spaces have allowed families to express their concerns and connect with the school in ways that were not possible before. Parents have participated actively, noting how much the dialogue has helped to build trust and a stronger community. Many parents have suggested including more students in the conversation. We are excited to keep building on this progress.

Community Preventive Health workshops

In February, we took an important step toward promoting better health in the community by conducting Preventive Health workshops. These sessions focused on sexual education and the prevention of unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. Our goal was to provide both young people and adults with clear information and practical tools to make informed decisions about their health. The workshops were met with great enthusiasm. It was inspiring to see the community so engaged, discussing sensitive topics openly and with a sense of responsibility.

Community Cinema Shines Again in Pifo!!

Community Movie Nights Are Back! We thought the power outages that affected Ecuador severely in 2024, had come to an end! Hence, we gathered in Mulauco for a community movie night, together with a short dance performance by the children. The setup was ready, and everyone was looking forward to a relaxed evening together.

However, a few minutes into the movie, the power went out and the screen suddenly went dark again. For a moment, we all sat in silence, unsure of what to do next. Then someone suggested, "Why don’t we just watch it on a laptop?" It seemed like a simple solution, so we went with it.

We gathered around the screen and made the most of it: someone brought speakers to improve the sound, and others shared warm drinks and popcorn. Even without electricity, the night carried on. In the end, it wasn’t about the movie itself but about coming together, making the best of the moment, and enjoying each other’s company.

Thank You for Being Part of This Journey!

We would like to extend a special thank you to the entire Pifo community, our partner institutions, teachers, parents, and of course, the children and young people who have actively participated in these projects. Thanks to your collaboration and commitment, we continue building a safer, more inclusive, and participatory space for everyone.

To our sponsors, thank you for being part of this journey and for making it possible for our projects to have a positive impact on the lives of the people of Pifo/Ecuador!

In case you are interested in our report 2024 or our plan 2025, please click on the following links (Spanish only):

Annual Report 2024: https://goo.su/Xk5FWxW

Plan 2025: https://goo.su/lNGZv

We move forward, convinced that our unity is the key to achieving great things.

See you next time!

Sincerely,

The DCF Team

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How to support the community in Pifo?

With your contribution, you greatly help us make this important work possible and continue it. You can support us by making a payment through:

IBAN: NL23ABNA0621779652

Daniëlle Children’s Fund

Noordwijk

BIC: ABNANL2A