On the 26th of May, our first ever Oasis was inaugurated in Nuestra Señora del Encuentro school in Petare.
This park - which before was a barren stretch of land - is now a fun place for these children to play, learn, and drink clean water from. Thanks to all the generous donations that took us above our original fundraising target for this project, we were able to develop the designs for the park to include features to make the park even more sustainable and practical: including installing a piping and filtration system to create a ‘water wall’ with water fountains at different heights, so that the kids can have access to clean, safe drinking water while at school. We were also able to build an outdoor classroom, with a roof to provide shade, where the children can rest, eat, and participate in workshops and seminars.
Carli, a student at the school who has been part of the Oasis Project since the beginning, said: “We have been wanting a park for 8 years and we’ve been working on it for 2. I can’t believe this is finally happening!”. For these children, the majority of whom come from very poor backgrounds, without many examples of aspirations or achievements, this park represents a huge accomplishment.
This project was made possible by 290 donations from across the globe - our most successful Giving Tuesday ever. The inauguration of the Oasis is an illustration of what can be achieved when the Chamos community comes together, each giving what they can, to champion a cause they believe in.