Bienvenidos a Panama City
Hola from Panama City on Day 2 of the first ever SAP Social Sabbatical in Panama — a country you may know for its canal, a hat, and a recent global financial scandal.
However, our first few days have shown that this country and its capital city have so much more to offer, from an impressive modern skyline to historical streets dating back to 17th century Spanish settlements. Our group of SAP employees is working with four organizations that help the people of Panama City who need it most and enable them to build a sustainable future.
We spent out first night learning about the evolution of Panama City’s neighborhoods from former gang members. Today Casco Viejo is a lively and touristy neighborhood full of restaurants and bars, but not long ago it was home to some of the city’s most dangerous gangs. Our tour guides gave us incredible insight into the city’s changing economic landscape, the divide between rich and poor, and where the city might be headed in the future.
It was inspiring — and the next day we were off and running with our host organizations.
My team is working with an organization called Movimiento Nueva Generación, a mid-sized NGO with a mission to provide comprehensive prevention to children and teens who are vulnerable to violence, drugs, and gangs through social, cultural, and sports activities. We spent our first two days touring the organization’s five centers, each strategically located in the city’s poorest neighborhoods so that the children don’t have to cross borders controlled by rival gangs. We met with the staff and watched the children as they studied, danced, and ate. We’ll be working from the organization’s administrative offices in the heart of El Chorrillo and eating lunch alongside the students in the centers. (So far: rice and beans and sanchoco, the country’s traditional chicken soup.)
Movimiento Nueva Generación has challenged our team to build a new communications plan to better tell their inspiring story to a range of stakeholders, including existing and potential donors as well as the community. It’s a daunting but exciting task — and after seeing first-hand the children who will benefit, we can’t wait to get started.
