Inclusion for a better quality of life

By: Keydi Bent

URACCAN, in conjunction with the World Bank and Bluefields Indian & Caribbean University (BICU), made the presentation of the report: "Afro-Descendant in Latin America: Toward a Framework of Inclusion". This activity was carried out with the aim of showing the situation of Afro-descendants in Latin America, as well as presenting evidence and results on progress in terms of improving the quality of censuses that now incorporate more and more the variety of ethnicity.

According to the report, Afro-descendants are more likely to be chronically poor than other Latin Americans. It is also reflected that the Caribbean coasts of Central America have a high concentration of Afro-descendants living with many deficiencies.

Education as a key strategy for Afro-descendants

Also, according to the results and information collected in the study, education is a starting point, as well as educational empowerment, as part of methods to make a difference, that is why education is the key point in changing the situation of Afro-descendants in Latin America.

"Wherever we are we also try to hear from people and understand their contexts because these results have a different input and context in each place," said Seynabou Sakho, Director of the World Bank for Central America.

Priority and commitment to achieving goals

In addition, Sakho added that with this report, the World Bank prioritizes specific areas: "The World Bank is prioritizing three areas and with each place we are told that these areas are also the priorities, which are education, economic empowerment and data," he added.

For her part, Dr. Alta Hooker, magnificent rector of URACCAN, said that "It is in the hands of each of us and us to do our best to identify these opportunities every day, but also by contributing to what we Afro-descendants want our Caribbean Coast to be. We live here, we were born here and we're not going anywhere, that means commitment and responsibility," Hooker concluded.