Representatives of Sonrisa were very pleased to received a cheque for £6,700 from Discovering Latin America (DLA) at the organisation’s Annual General Meeting.

The substantial donation was the result of a highly successful fundraising event - The Rhythms of Latin America Festival - held by DLA at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London.

Supporters of Sonrisa (Hazel, Maya and Laura) receive a symbolic cheque from Mariangela of DLA.

DLA chose to donate the profits of the festival to Sonrisa so the money collected could go directly towards helping children at the Centre for the Working Girl (CENIT) in Quito.

A member of DLA had seen first hand the valuable work carried out at the centre, and was determined to offer aid to the charity.

The donation made by DLA will go largely towards the paying the salaries of the local teachers and support staff who work at CENIT.

Money will also go towards buying new resources for street outreach work and covering the costs of a nutrionist, so that the meals in the school canteen are as healthy as possible.

Sonrisa would like to take this opportunity to extend its heartfelt thanks to DLA for its most generous donation.