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Congratulatory
message for the celebration of the 15th
Anniversary of the Professor Maria Silvia
Salazar School of Nursing, La Paz, Mexico.
Ingeniero Narcizo Agindez
Montan, Governor of Baja California Sur,
Professor Victor Castro Cosio, President
of Municipal XII Ayumtaminento de La Paz,
Licenciado Lino Renan Villavicencio Garayzar,
Director of CONALEP, Dr. Silvia Salazar,
International Coordinator for La Paz School
of Nursing Project, Honoured Guests, BPW
Members, Ladies and Gentlemen, It’s
an honor for me to deliver this congratulatory
message on the occasion of 15th Anniversary
of Professor Maria Silvia Salazar School
of Nursing.
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Dr. Silvia Salazar, former President
of BPW Mexico,first introduced this project
at BPW International Congress in Auckland
in 1985, the project was warmly welcomed
by BPW members. She has been the driving
force of this project ever since.
Dr.
Silvia Salazar’s dream became a reality
when the state government of Lower California
Sur donated the plot of 5,000 square metres
in the capital city of La Paz. Another BPW
member, Ma del Pilar Marinez Castro, was
the architect of the building. In July 1988,
our former International President Tuulikki
Juusela laid the foundation stone for the
school. BPW Affiliates and BPW individual
members worldwide took pride in our effort
to help raise fund support building of this
nursing school. After the completion of
the building in 1990, BPW still continue
to contribute various resources for the
school such as scholarships, uniforms, books
as well as funding support for building
extensions in order to accommodate more
students. In fact, in 1993 BPW International
raised about USD 33,000 during the BPW International
Congress in Nagoya, Japan to support the
building of the extension of the school.
A
building is like a body. To operate this
body we need a brain, and for this, our
past International President, Dr. Yvette
Swan made an agreement with CONALEP to operate
this Nursing school. This proves to be an
excellent choice. Since 1992, CONALEP has
offered high standard quality training.
Over 500 students, who have graduated, are
now working in nursing and health care jobs
or relief work in 120 rural communities
in the North and South of La Paz. I would
like to commend CONALEP for the high standard
of their work in the past 15 years, enabling
the school to be certified with the ISO
9001:2000 in 2004.
As
the number of students are growing, it has
been recognized that building facility for
the school is again, need to be extended.
BPW International has provided a seeding
fund of US$ 12,000 and raised a further
fund by selling property bricks at US$ 100
each to build a new auditorium named in
honour of Dr. Yvette Swan. The fund raising
effort still continues today. The major
progress of this building has been made
through the commitment of Governor of Baja
California Sur, Ingeniero Narcizo Argindez
Montan, which led to the donation from state
government to provide US$200,000 support
in building the external part of the auditorium.
So Governor Narcizo Argindez Montan, please
accept our sincere gratitude. While BPW
International would continue our effort
to raise fund, we also hope for the continue
support from State Government of Baja California
Sur on completion of this auditorium.
The
history of this school has been documented
in this new book “Empower Women World-Wide:
The History of Project Five-O”, written
by past BPW International President’s
Sylvia Perry. Project Five-O is a coalition
between BPW International, International
Council of Women, International Federation
of University Women, Soroptimist International
and Zonta International. This school is
regards as one of the Five-O project because
it received funding to replace the content
of its library from Project Five-O in 1999.
It’s
only human that every one want to be remembered
for their contributions to the world, yet,
few people earn it. Dr. Silvia Salazar Salazar’s
work with this nursing school has earned
her place in history. If the building is
this nursing school is a body and the CONALEP
is the brain, then Dr. Silvia Salazar is
the HEART of this school. Her 22 years of
commitment to the school is absolutely exceptional.
Please join me in congratulating this remarkable
lady.
I
wish the school the completion of the Auditorium
in the near future. This auditorium means
more than facilitating more nursing students.
As the more nursing students graduate from
this school, the more life they would save.
So BPW International would pledge our continue
commitment to the support this school. Congratulations
again on your 15th Anniversary of Professor
Maria Siliva Salazar’s Nursing School.
Chonchanok
Viravan
BPW International President
8 March 2007
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