Global Economic Times

Ueno Bank and Última Hora Breathe New Life into Paraguayan Education with the 'Reading Educators' Project: Global Economic Times Reporter / Updated : 2025-09-08 20:02:18

The 'Formando Lectores 2' (Reading Educators) project, a joint initiative by Ueno Bank and the daily newspaper Última Hora, is revitalizing the Paraguayan education system. Launched to support the Ministry of Education and Sciences' (MEC) 'Ñe'êry' National Program for the Improvement of Reading, Writing, and Oral Skills, the project recently continued its meaningful efforts by donating 500 books to the Dr. Blas Garay Elementary School.

A Passion for Reading Envelops Dr. Blas Garay Elementary School

The book donation has significantly improved the reading environment for students at Dr. Blas Garay Elementary School. Serving a community of low-income families, the school previously struggled with a lack of reading materials, often having to rely on voluntary contributions from parents to acquire necessary books. While teachers were dedicated to leading reading education, they faced the tangible limitation of not having enough quality resources.

María Elizabeth Cateura, the school director, expressed her gratitude, stating, "This book donation will be a great help to our school's reading education." She emphasized that since the implementation of the MEC's 'Ñe'êry' program, students' interest in reading has noticeably increased, and this donation will play a crucial role in shaping their reading habits. Celia Ortiz, a coordinator who has worked at the school for 25 years, also highlighted the importance of the donation, noting, "I have directly witnessed improvements in the children's expressiveness and fluency."

A Grand Journey to Deliver 200,000 Books to 400 Schools

The 'Reading Educators 2' project aims to go beyond simple donations and address educational inequality across Paraguay. The first phase, 'Reading Educators 1', already delivered 100,000 books to 200 schools, and the current 'Reading Educators 2' project plans to donate an additional 100,000 books to 200 more schools. When the project is complete, a total of 200,000 books in both Spanish and Guarani will have been distributed to 400 schools.

Diana Mongelós, a director at Ueno Bank, highlighted the significance of the project, calling it "our commitment to providing a quality education for all children." She added, "We will continue to work to provide quality education to children across the country through this project, which began last year."

Luis Ramírez, the Paraguayan Minister of Education, praised the joint effort of Última Hora and Ueno Bank as an "exemplary case of how the private and public sectors can collaborate to make a real impact on education." He likened their efforts to "not just criticizing reality, but actively participating and getting onto the field to play the game," and expressed his thanks for "their hard work in bringing books, the most sacred thing in a school."

Through the 'Reading Educators' project, Ueno Bank and Última Hora are lighting up the future of Paraguayan children, contributing to the formation of reading habits and creating a positive social ripple effect.