Last October 12th, La Junta de Beneficencia de Guayaquil signed an Agreement with the Guayaquil Rotary Club to expand and strengthen the drug use and consumption prevention program offered by the Neurosciences´ UCA Educa Program.
The expansion of the UCA EDUCA program is intended to inform about the risks inherent in the use of psychoactive substances, through talks, testimonies and dramatizations to an audience of about 200 students per/session, 120 family members and 50 representatives of the different educational centers.
Additionally sessions will be conducted with parents and teachers to give them the tools necessary to approach and orient young people. The idea is for them to become a multiplying agent in the prevention of drug consumption a social problem which is increasingly affecting Ecuadorian society and one which is being attended to by the Neurosciences Institute for over 3 years through UCA Educa Prevention Program which has benefitted over 6 thousand students who have received training.
Eng. Benjamin Rosales, Inspector for the Neurosciences Institute and Mr. Luis Vasconez Febres Cordero, President of the Rio Guayas Rotary Club, signed the Agreement; and in this way both Institutions joined efforts to work together and contribute from their own reality, financial resources, logistics and specialized personnel to promote awareness, prevention and the decrease of drug consumption in Ecuadorian childhood and youngsters.
“We recognize the efforts put forth by La Junta de Beneficencia de Guayaquil in this program but there is a need to reach many more grammar schools and high schools whether private or public in order to increase the number of beneficiaries who are aware, and know the cause and effect of the usage and consumption of different types of drugs; and so prevent their usage”, stressed Eng. Sixto Cuesta, Rotary member and a leader of the Cooperation project.