Support to Local San Antonio de Areco´ NGO

From Camino Pampa, we are delighted to announce that we have managed to secure a US$ 20,308 contribution to APROPDIS, which will be used to improve the organization’s general infrastructure and the lives and services for the children.

This significant amount required several years of work establishing international connections and building trust with our clients, and it included contributions from visitors to the town, reflecting just one aspect of our involvement with APROPDIS’s work and the community of San Antonio de Areco.

Making progress with contributions to APROPDIS 

Since 1994, APROPDIS, the Association for the Promotion of Persons with Disabilities, has been the communal association in the Areco area focused on integrating persons with disabilities into the community, providing them with training resources, and fostering their participation in the job market with a factory producing excellent handmade “alpargatas” (Gauchos´ espadrilles) that are highly renowned in the region for their quality and original design.

However, the measure of APROPDIS’s success lies in the personal support and care provided to the families involved—a success always recognized by the community of the Areco. Therefore, the Association actively creates recreational and socialization opportunities by engaging attendees in gymnastics, theatre classes, outings, excursions, and moments of leisure and entertainment.

In both instances, external financial support is crucial for the NGO to continue operating with the quality it is known for and to improve its ability to help people. 

That’s why we are celebrating the recent collection of over US$ 18,368, which the APROPDIS Board of Directors will be able to manage according to its criteria to enhance its services, investing in furniture, building updates, and purchasing tools, all essential for the well-being of attendees and volunteers, as well as the operation of the espadrille factory.

The country’s situation further highlights the importance of these figures for the functioning of these organizations, which primarily rely on private support to provide their community service.

Regarding these donors, it’s worth noting that in this case, the majority are foreigners, from the USA and Germany, who choose to make a charitable contribution with their purchases. 

They are aware that they are paying an extra, which will be used to support a charity. In this case, the main cooperation comes through the German tourism agency SAT (South American Tours), which promotes not only tourism in our lands (already supporting the local economy) but also brings direct income to civil associations providing services to the community.

Since 2014, at Camino Pampa, we have supported APROPDIS and used a similar system to the aforementioned Responsible Tours operator: u$d 10 from each sale are automatically allocated to the aforementioned association, our humble economic support to our town.

In addition to this, there are approximately  US$ 30 per month allocated by the State for each attendee received by the Association, among other sources of contributions.

Of course, not everything in a humanitarian initiative is about money. That’s why at Camino Pampa, we seek to align ourselves with the mission of APROPDIS, which promotes and fosters the inclusion and socialization of persons with disabilities. We always strive to introduce foreign tourists we meet during their visit to Areco to the existence and work of the Association, to the extent that, if they wish, we encourage them to include a visit to the espadrille factory on their tours—and of course, to take home a pair of espadrilles!

When travellers from around the world come to our town and meet in person those who are part of the association, it’s more than just an enriching experience; it’s a gesture of kindness for everyone involved and a significant moment of socialization for the children and attendees.

Producing espadrilles is not the only aspect of valuing the work of the children; there is also the matter of getting the product to potential customers. Therefore, at Camino Pampa, we not only bring tourists there but also assist the Association in taking their products to stores in Buenos Aires, finding businesses interested in the children’s work, establishing responsible commercial relationships, and expanding the reach of their work and the compensation that supports them. 

Everyone is welcomed to collaborate with the people of APROPDIS. If you wish to know how to, you can contact us!