YANAPAY: "We support, collaborate, and accompany each other in community"
YANAPAY: "We support, collaborate, and accompany each other in community"
The official launch of the YANAPAY Project and the inauguration of a new educational support classroom took place in the Barrio 17 de Noviembre in Lomas de Zamora. This marks the beginning of a new phase of collaborative work between Development and Self-Management (DYA), the Civil Association Wawa Wasi Caritas Alegres, provincial and municipal authorities, and social organizations from the territory.
YANAPAY —which means "we support, collaborate, and accompany each other in community" in Quechua— is a project financed by Luxembourg Cooperation that aims to strengthen protective environments for children and adolescents, guaranteeing access to quality education, psychosocial support, community participation, and inter-institutional articulation in contexts of vulnerability.
An Event That Celebrated Collective Construction
The gathering convened a diverse range of actors committed to children's rights: provincial authorities, municipal officials, community organizations, families from the neighborhood, and, of course, children. The encounter reflected the spirit of the project: the joint construction of solutions from multiple perspectives and responsibilities.
The event also marked the inauguration of a new educational support classroom, a refurbished space where children from the neighborhood will receive specialized educational accompaniment to strengthen their learning trajectories. "We are very happy to have the YANAPAY Project, as it comes to give us support and to have networks that allow us to continue caring for our children," expressed Giovanna Campos, a representative of Wawa Wasi Caritas Alegres, the organization that has been providing early education services and educational support in the neighborhood for decades.
Institutional Presence and Territorial Commitment
The launch reflected the territorial consensus around the need to strengthen the protection of children's rights. Provincial authorities in attendance included Nancy Carrere, Director of the Coordination of Protective Measures Against Child and Adolescent Labor (COPRETI); on the municipal side, Noelia Coronel, Director of Migrant Communities; Graciela Rolle, Supervisor of Alternative Systems; and Adriana Grandoni, from the CTA of Lomas de Zamora, also participated. The Civil Organization Foundation (FOC) was represented by César Perri and Pamela Orta.
A Comprehensive Project for Children
YANAPAY will unfold throughout 2026 and 2027, benefiting 200 children and adolescents in Lomas de Zamora. The project includes educational support through study support and recreational spaces, quality early education services, mental health services for adolescents and youth, capacity-building trainings for community organizations, and the creation of co-management boards between the state and social actors to ensure the sustainability of services.
Helga Fourcade, Executive Director of DYA, highlighted the importance of territorial work: "Our commitment is to strengthen the capacities of community organizations so they continue to be protagonists in guaranteeing children's rights, improving their management, their autonomy, and building, together with the state, fairer and more protective environments."
The event developed in a festive and participatory atmosphere. The gathering opened with playful activities for children led by clown Von Rueda, who performed games and acrobatic tricks. Subsequently, the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the classroom inauguration took place, led by representatives from DYA, Wawa Wasi, and the teaching team, followed by a group photograph that sealed the collective commitment.
The event closed with community catering and Tinku dancing, a cultural expression that strengthened territorial bonds and celebrated, with joy, collaborative work in favor of children.
We Extend Our Appreciation to Those Who Endorsed This Project
Nicolás Viñes, Director of the Provincial Commission for the Prevention and Eradication of Child Labor; Mercedes Castilla, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Women and Diversity; Belén Peretto, Regional Director of the Ministry of Women and Diversity; Eva Dimenna, Zonal Head of Lomas de Zamora, General Directorate of Culture and Education, Province of Buenos Aires; and Elisa Pineda, President of the Civil Organization Foundation.