Sustainability
March 31st 2020 ・ 10 min reading
The company Chiquita, through the program, My School First, of the Ministry of Education, this Wednesday, May 16, completed the donation of a lunchroom for the 330 students of the school of the community of Barranco Medio in the province of Bocas del Toro.
This project responds to the second pillar of sustainabilityof the company focused on “Being a Good Neighbor” and whose purpose is the commitment and responsibility of Chiquita to have a positive and long-term impact in the communities where it operates, by investing in social projects in favor of childhood and education, among other topics.
"At Chiquita, we initiate and support community projects such as investing in school infrastructure, helping children receive an education, creating environmental awareness and promoting social empowerment," explained Andrew Biles, CEO of Chiquita.
The Barranco Medio educational center is located in a rural area with the same name, near Las Tablas where Chiquita has operations in four farms, therefore, 75% of the student population are children of workers of the company.
"We are very grateful for the project of the National Government and its My School First initiative. In the same way, we appreciate the effort of the Chiquita Company with the delivery of this children's lunchroom, which will improve the quality of life and will be of benefit for the students of the Barranco Medio Educational Center in the province of Bocas del Toro. ", Miriam Castro, Regional Director of Meduca Bocas del Toro.
"I want to thank the banana company Chiquita, on behalf of the educational community for donating a school lunchroom, which has come to solve a great need for the students of this campus." Víctor Sanjur, Director of the Barranco Medio Educational Center.
Mr. Alberto Santos donated the land to build the school cafeteria, once delivered the project by the company Chiquita, the facilities will be owned by the State, in this sense, the Ministry of Education will be responsible for providing sustainability to the property.
Chiquita is convinced that helping childrenand giving them better academic and nutritional conditions has a positive and lasting impact on communities.
The ceremony of the transfer was attended by the Deputy director of MEDUCA Juvenal Herrera, Mr. Ubaldo Vallejos Ramírez, Governor of the Province, Raúl Gigena, director of Human Resources of Chiquita, Mr. Wagner Beig, Director of Agriculture of Chiquita, Víctor Sanjur, director of the Barranco Medio School and Alberto Santo, President of the Family Parents Club who signed the donation contract in a celebration at the school.
