Guatemalan singer and songwriter Ricardo Arjona inaugurated on Wednesday, Jan. 15, the first of twenty arts schools he's planning to build in his home country through the Adentro Foundation, an organization created by the singer himself to promote music, education and singing.
According to EFE, the first arts school built by the singer is located in the village of Ixcanal, in the municipality of San Agustín Acasaguastlán, in the department of El Progreso, northeast of the Guatemalan capital.
The Guatemalan President, Otti Pérez Molina, and officials of Adentro were present at the inauguration where the singer introduced the facilities with a capacity for 200 children.
An Homage to Ricardo Arojona's Mother
The first school built by Adentro was named "Nohemí Morales de Arjona" in honor of the singer's mother, who passed away last December 4, 2013. The school will serve as a regular primary school for poor students in the morning, and an arts and music formation center during the afternoon, according to EFE.
On his part, Ricardo Arjona told the Guatemalan press that the first of 20 schools was built in the same place where his parents first met, so the inauguration of the first school has a special importance for the singer, according to People en Español.
"With this school we pretend to set a precedent so that one individual can become a pivot of a triangle that historically has been a debacle for this country: the lack of dialogue between government, businesses and the people of Guatemala," said the singer as during the ceremony.
Located in a poor region of Guatemala, Arjona's first school has eight classrooms, a library, computer center, musical study and a sports field.