San Juan, Puerto Rico (February 4, 2025) – In honor of the School Day of Nonviolence and Peace, Vimenti, an integrated family services center, held its first March for Peace and School Violence Prevention under the theme 'Building Peace Together.' Students, faculty, staff, and parents from Vimenti School and Felipe Gutiérrez Elementary School gathered at the Ernesto Ramos Antonini Housing Complex to participate in the event.
'The main goal of this event is to foster peace and unity within our educational community. At the same time, we want to amplify the visibility of this important initiative and ensure that the message of peace resonates throughout our neighboring communities,' explained Génesis Ramos Feliciano, case manager at Vimenti and event coordinator.
Bárbara Rivera Batista, founder and executive director of Vimenti, emphasized the organization’s long-standing commitment to promoting peace: 'At Vimenti, we have a deep commitment to fostering peace in our community and across Puerto Rico. During these challenging times—marked by confusion and stress—it is more important than ever to spread messages of peace, empathy, and trust to all our audiences. I want to thank our students and employees, as well as the students and staff of Felipe Gutiérrez Elementary School, for making this initiative a success.'
Participants in the 'Building Peace Together' march began their route at Vimenti I, located within the Ernesto Ramos Antonini Housing Complex. They concluded at the neighborhood’s baseball field, forming a human circle of peace. More than 200 children and adults - including members of both organizations, residents of the housing complex, and community leaders - participated in the event.
Now in its sixth year of operation, Vimenti has reported significant progress in its mission to eradicate child poverty in Puerto Rico through its Two-Generation Model approach to education. Over this period, Vimenti has served 1,345 individuals and provided 75,477 meals, leading to a 5% reduction in overall family poverty levels compared to the initial baseline. Additionally, 48% of participating families have achieved stability in their evaluations, and students at Vimenti School have reached a 70% overall academic proficiency rate.