(July 23, 2014) — Point-of-Rental Systems’ CEO Wayne Harris recently visited a school in Retalhuleu, Guatemala, that caters specifically to children living in extreme poverty. The poverty rate in Guatemala is at 53 percent, with the worst poverty conditions being in rural areas of the country. Lack of education is a major reason for this, with an average 4.1 years of education per person, ranking it 158th among other countries, according to a United Nations Development Program report. Many children from Central American countries who cannot afford private school are forced into organized crime or sex trafficking, tempting them or their parents to make the harrowing journey to U.S. borders in hopes of a providing a better life for loved ones back home.
DAR, the non-profit school Harris visited, is a tuition-free private school intent on changing this cycle of poverty through education. Most DAR students come from families with household incomes of less than $100 per month. The mission of DAR is to change the entire mindset of people living in poverty by educating the whole child and their families by teaching not only academics, but also nutrition, hygiene. and character.
“While working there with the staff and interacting with the students and their families, I was impressed by the great work the school is doing and wondered if somehow Point-of-Rental could help," Harris said.
Because learning through technology can open up a world of resources and opportunities, Point-of-Rental Systems has chosen to sponsor the DAR project: Technology in the Classroom. This project consists of three stages that will occur over a period of two years. Stage one is to install a dedicated link and LAN (Wi-Fi) connectivity to optimize teachers’ ability to access the worldwide Web. Stage two will cover the purchase of tablets for each teacher and the principal and provide training for these individuals to use the tablets within their classrooms. Stage three will integrate tablets into the curriculum and provide 45 tablets for rotating use among the classrooms.
“We are extremely happy to be able to help this school in an area that is important to us as a company,” Harris stated. “DAR fully expects their students to grow up to be world changers, and it is exciting to us to provide tools to help them access the world. It is truly a privilege to partner with an organization that is empowering children to overcome their circumstances.”
