Agency for International Development grants to Patronato Nacional de la Juventud Rural Panamena to provide support to strengthen the agriculture training of Panama"s disadvantaged students

The project will also help PANAJURU establish itself as a self-sufficient voluntary agency capable of contributing monetarily to the scholarship program. Two groups of 20 students each will enter EAP - at the start of 1987 and 1989, respectively - to follow a 3-year course of study in practical farming applications and applied tropical agronomy. PANAJURU will be responsible for selecting the scholarship students, providing them with orientation and ongoing advisory and administrative support, and, after graduation, helping them to secure employment and/or credit and TA for their own agricultural or agribusiness ventures. During the initial 3 years of the project, from 7 to 10 short-term consultants will be provided to will help PANAJURU develop itself as a self-sufficient voluntary agency. The consultants will assist PANAJURU in administering the scholarship program; developing a cost accounting system; defining its long-term objectives and needed organizational and administrative improvements; and developing improved fundraising methods. PANAJURU is committed to contribute directly to scholarship funding by 1989, and to make increasingly large contributions in 1990 and 1991. If PANAJURU fails to develop sufficient funding capability, A.I.D. funding assistance will not be provided to the planned second group of students.