President Laura Chinchilla on Friday began delivering 100,000 packages of school supplies to children in schools with few resources, all of which will be distributed with the help of Correos de Costa Rica, S.A., the company that manages the country’s postal service.
Packages, donated by the Mixed Institute for Social Aid (IMAS), a government agency,“ represent an investment of ₡650 million ($1.2 million) of this year’s budget,” explained Social Welfare Minister Fernando Marín.
Each package includes 7 notebooks, pencils, pens, rulers and a map of Costa Rica, among other supplies.
The first stage of distribution will include schools in Limón and the Guatuso and Maleku indigenous regions in the Northern Zone and northwestern province of Guanacaste. Marginalized zones of San José will be next.
Chinchilla explained that in addition to the supplies, students also received a brochure with information on violence against children prepared by the National Children’s Hospital.
“We have managed to streamline the efforts of several institutions and improve many aspects each year. Today we can ensure that this initiative is consolidated, and allows IMAS to cover parents’ immediate needs at the beginning of the school year,” Marín said.
Correos de Costa Rica hopes to complete the distribution within six weeks.
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