About
Proyecto Daniel, based in San José, Costa Rica. Proyecto Daniel is a non-Governmental Organization that helps to improve the quality of life of adolescents and young adults diagnosed with cancer between the ages of 13 and 25.
Proyecto Daniel is committed to providing youths with tools that allow them to face their illness in the best way possible, through their three pillars: Recreation, Education and Accompaniment. They organize events and activities throughout the year and support patients through scholarships and tutorials to avoid academic disruption. The heart of Proyecto Daniel comes from their volunteers, who work on programs designed to provide support and company, offering patients and their families the opportunity to meet other young people in similar conditions to show they’re not alone.
HOW IS BCD GETTING INVOLVED?
In addition to the financial support that BCD extends to all MAD projects, BCD Costa Rica has a group called Connecting Hands that is dedicated to supporting this cause and helps organize special activities for these teenagers. In early May, our BCD System Technician Valeria Monge, showed teenagers from Proyecto Daniel how to build computers.
Valeria aimed to inspire the teens to think about their future careers, work as a team and enjoy friendly competition. She explained:
“I brought two older, decommissioned computers, which I had disassembled in advance. At the event, I introduced myself, explained what I do at BCD and described the computer parts. We divided the teens into two groups, gave them the necessary tools and challenged them to reassemble the computers. The first group to power up their computer would win.
Both groups succeeded and everyone had a great time working on the project. Afterward, I talked to them about the experience, encouraging them to believe in their abilities. They built a computer without prior knowledge, showing they can do anything they set their mind to.
After lunch, one teenager approached me and said he wanted to study Computer Engineering, just like I did, thanks to this activity. It was such a rewarding experience.”
We can make a positive impact on these teenagers’ lives by breaking up their routine and teaching them new things—just as they teach us, too. Their life stories and their courage to face their circumstances deeply move us.
