Through la Fundación Dale (the Dale "to give" Foundation), Dole sponsors education programs in the rural areas of Ecuador where the Company operates. Examples include the sponsorship of schools and the building of a learning center in the Los Ríos province.

La Fundación Dale

The initiative to develop the Dale Foundation started in 1998, when Dole began rapidly expanding operations in Ecuador with a series of new investments focused on increasing the number of Company-owned farms and building a private shipping port.

In the beginning, the Dale Foundation’s actions focused on farms owned by Dole and surrounding areas. In 2004 however, the scope of the Foundation expanded and independent growers who produced for Dole were invited to contribute financially to the Foundation’s work.

The Foundation mainly focuses on three areas:

• Education Programs
• Community Programs
• Health Programs

Vicente Piedrahita School

The Vicente Piedrahita School was built in 2000 and started its first academic year in 2001. Dole invested over $US 240,000 in this project.

The new Vicente Piedrahita School replaced three existing schools, which were not in suitable condition to ensure appropriate learning.  The new school provides students with a modern infrastructure and well-ventilated classrooms, spaces for recreational activities, a teachers’ room, a kitchen and a cafeteria. 

The school serves over 250 children from the communities of la Angela, la Victoria, la Paz and Poza de Mate, in the Los Ríos Province.  In comparison to the three old schools, which operated under the uni-educational system, the Vicente Piedrahita School has a different teacher for every grade.

The construction of the Vicente Piedrahita School was achieved through a 10-year lease agreement with the Ministry of Education. The Foundation provides yearly maintenance and implementation of programs for children and teachers.

Dole UBESA is currently seeking to duplicate this example in other areas.

Children’s Programs

The Foundation also ensures that children have time for recreation and organizes field trips every year. In 2005, the children visited the River Park Amusement Center in Guayaquil. The Foundation also supports the school’s soccer teams by supplying uniforms and transporting members to and from matches.

Teachers’ Programs

The Foundation believes that teachers are the key to providing a quality education for children.  As a result, the Foundation organizes training workshops as a way to provide on-going professional development for teachers. Furthermore, teachers from neighboring communities are invited to participate in these workshops, free of charge.