A Mexican teacher, an illustrated book about a girl with autism, a center for children with HIV/ AIDS and a Brazilian NGO dedicated to improving the health of children from poor families won awards from the Inter-American Development Bank and the ALAS Foundation for their outstanding contributions to early childhood development.
Martha Ivette Rivera Alanis, a Mexican grade school teacher, won the ALAS-IDB award for best teacher. «Antonia,» a book by Colombian author Paula Mejia and Argentine illustrator Maria Paula Dufour won the award for best publication. Colombian foundation Fundamor won the award for best center and Brazilian NGO Saúde Criança won the best innovation award.
The winners will receive the award from ALAS founder Shakira, foundation president Alejandro Santo Domingo and IDB President Luis Alberto Moreno in a ceremony to be held on Thursday, April 12, from 6:30 to 7:00 pm in the Napoleon de la Rosa auditorium of the Universidad Tecnológica de Bolivar in Cartagena, Colombia.
The contest, first of its kind in Latin America and the Caribbean, received over 700 nominations from individuals and institutions throughout the region. Participants were evaluated by a panel of experts.Prizes include educational kits, training for early childhood development teachers in the Unites States, computers, video game consoles and television sets.
«“The successful response to the ALAS IDB Competition is the expression of a commitment that transcends borders. This project is the fruit of joint efforts and of incentives to guarantee concrete actions and results,” said Shakira.
Representatives from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Honduras, Paraguay and Peru received honorable mentions.
