|
Country: Argentina
Organization: Fundación Gente Nueva
Sector Focus - Civil society
Year the initative began (yyyy) - 2004
Positioning in the Mosaic of solutions
What is your signature innovation, your new idea, in one sentence? - Families are deeply involved in the process of taking their children out of the garbage dump.
Describe your innovation. What makes your idea unique and different than others doing work in the field? -
As regards intervening and working directly with the children and their families, our innovation consists on the strong involvement of the families in the process of taking their children out of the garbage dump. This has contributed to the sustainability of the results and, to consider the children’s as well as their families’ needs, wishes and beliefs, both before and after life at the garbage dump. We are developing a specific methodology of intervention in child labor in garbage dumps. We strengthen the family group through developing work skills, training in upbringing norms and taking them along through schooling. Delivery Model: How do you implement your innovation and apply it to the challenge/problem you are addressing? - Our goals are working in garbage dumps with children and their families and having an impact on public policies. We will use 3 different types of intervention: a) action-oriented participant research, b) community psychology and c) popular education. We go into the garbage dump and live with the families that work there, in order to make a diagnosis and win their confidence to work together. We develop joint actions with local agents: governments, schools and health centers.
The main points are: formal education, health and family. We conduct children into schooling with psycho pedagogical support, health checks and referring to specialists. Children attend art workshops with a team of psychologists. We strengthen the family group with training. How do you plan to grow your innovation? - At this stage, we relieve that our model could start to be used in other places. In October 2008, we will start transferring this methodology to other places in the country together with the counseling of the ILO. We need to have a deeper impact on public policies concerned with childhood, not as an isolated issue restricted to cultural aspects, as it is usually done. Instead we want child labor to be considered as a kind of abuse towards infancy. We are also carrying out activities to raise awareness on the need to generate not local subsidies, but genuine jobs for these children’s parents. We need to generate bonds that include as many agents as possible.
Do you have any existing partnerships, and if so, how do you create them? - From the very beginning, we have acknowledged the need to establish bonds with key local agents, schools, local and provincial governments, base community organizations and NGO’s. With a clear idea of how it is possible to rescue children from the garbage dumps only by working together, we have managed to develop a local network of agents in order to achieve the greatest potential in our actions. We are also working with local companies to achieve job placement for parents. We count on the counseling and support of the ILO and we are carrying out a program with Fundación Telefónica (Proniño).
Provide one sentence describing your impact/intended impact. - To end with child labor in garbage dumps and help children recover the infancy of which they have been deprived.
How many people have you served or plan to serve? - So far we have had 200 children as our beneficiaries. We have worked with 73 family groups. Every member of the community can participate in the art activities designed for these groups. In addition to the children, there are approximately 150 boys and girls attending these workshops on a weekly basis.
Please list any other measures of the impact of your innovation? - -
Exactly who are the beneficiaries of your innovation? - Our beneficiaries are mainly boys and girls who work or have worked in garbage dumps looking for objects that can be sold. Many of them even live in these places for a while, under the most unstable conditions. It is also common for them to get their food, clothes and toys from the garbage dumps. We also work with their family group and the younger brothers and sisters for prevention.
How is your initiative financed (or how do you expect your initiative will be financed)? - Financing resources: Consejo Nacional de Niñez, Adolescencia y Familia (Nacional Board of Childhood, Adolescence and Family), One World for Children, Fundación Gente Nueva.
Human resources: volunteer psychologist, volunteer teachers, paid workshop leaders. If known, provide information on your finances and organization - Annual budget;
Annual revenue generated; Number of staff: 2008: 41,202,23 USD 2007: 44,533.95 USD 2006: 19,763.71 USD 2004-2005: 11,865.23 USD Financing resources: One World for Children, Fundación Telefónica or human resources (paid): 2 psychologists One educational psychologist One support teacher One psychomotricity specialist One lawyer Trainers in: drama, puppet-making, dancing, art, sculpture, music (orchestra and choir), cooking and pastry-making, kites, jewelry. Volunteers: Young people who take small groups of children along through the process. o recursos Financiadores: One World for Children, Fundación Telefónica What is the potential demand for your innovation? - Two percent of the developing world’s population lives on activities related to garbage recovery, almost half of them being children. This is seen as a usual activity, as part of the landscape in the outskirts of the cities. It is a kind of invisible labor that dooms children to a high risk childhood, with immediate permanent consequences on their health, and their psychological as well as social balance.
What are the main barriers to financial sustainability? - We believe the main barrier may be the level of degradation detected in the families we work with. It is thus necessary to work on integral family intervention, which requires financial investment with visible mid-term results. Ending with child labor in garbage dumps is the first step of a process that seeks to take these children back to a decent life. However, this is just one step. Permanent support is also necessary in the first stages until the families stop seeing as natural the dangerous situation their children are subject to.
What is the origin of this innovation? Tell us your story. - The first time I went to a garbage dump in Bariloche, a group of very young children were curious because of my accent and started asking me questions: “where are you from?” I said I was Mexican and we started a conversation that covered several topics. When I asked them what they were doing, they said they were looking for food as they were hungry.
Nearby they found a banquet: several green sausages, a bag with French fries left-outs and a bag with pasta, which was next to a diaper and an empty yoghurt container. They looked serious and their movements were quick and precise, as if they had done this many times and knew how to do it right but, at the same time, they seemed excited at what they were about to eat. Once they were done cleaning the food, they started arguing about where and how to distribute it and whether they should eat it right there or at home. They were arguing when the youngest girl, the one who led me to this group of children said: “we can’t eat it at home!” “Why?” the others asked with surprise. “Because if we take it home, this lady won’t be able to eat anything”. I think that if I have to name one reason for my commitment to children who work in the garbage, I would say the main reason is the unbelievable generosity shown by a starving little girl. Please provide a personal bio. Note this may be used in Changemakers marketing material - I am Mexican, I’m 38 years old and I have been living abroad for almost 13 years. I am currently living in Bariloche. I am a psychologist; I did a Master’s degree and a PhD. When I left my home country, I had the chance to explore what we call “the social world” which made my life follow a different path and profession. The concept of the commitment those who go to university have on society has had a deep impact on me. I have worked with vulnerable communities in Europe, Asia and Latin America. It is crucial for me to feel that I’m doing something to make things better around me. When all the problems of the world seem too big to be solved, I go to the garbage dump, I look into the children’s eyes and in them I can see my own son. Then I know what to do.
Contact Information:
Elena Duron
Coordinadora Fundación Gente Nueva (NGO) Discussions about this entry |
Child labor in Garbage dump - Proyecto P.E.T.I.S.O.S. (Prevención y Erradicación de Trabajo Infantil S.O.S.)
|
|
On July 16, 2008, the judges reviewed the entries for the Changemakers “Ending Global Slavery” Competition and would like to pass on the following feedback for your entry. Thank you for applying and for your hard work in the field. We are excited to archive your entry to serve as a leading solution for the worldwide community of innovators who are exposing, confronting and ending modern day slavery. We wish you continued luck with your sustainable, innovative, and socially impactful initiatives.
All the best, The Changemakers Team
“This was a heartening initiative, helping local children deal with difficult situations by utilizing innovative solutions involving garbage. Although this effort primarily focuses on poverty, the subjugated children are often on the edge of street crime and trafficking, forced into begging, stealing, and exploitative roles that inevitably make children vulnerable as criminals and/or victims. I think it will be valuable to share more information about the exploitation and abuse in this level of society.”
“Expertly-designed and well-written, this initiative is thoughtful and comprehensive, working with public policy to connect communities and the government. In the future, more and more people should get involved with these efforts. In particular, Ruth Pojman (on behalf of Eva Biadet) would like to connect the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe with this initiative.”
- Changemakers “Ending Global Slavery” Judges: United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Trafficking, International Organization for Migration, Design Within Reach, Vital Voices Global Partnership, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Humanity United.
----------
The Changemakers Team
Ashoka's Changemakers
Es impresionante y admirable lo que haces, ademas un ejemplo de que si se puede trabajar para tener un mundo mejor, con niños que se merecen otro tipo de vida y la superacion de sus familias tambien implica el apoyo e impulso de fundaciones como la tuya. Recibe un fuerte abrazo y de mi parte un compromiso de ser mejor ser humano que pueda dejar huella no solo en mis hijos ,ni en los niños que trabajan en los basureros sino tambien en los niños que trabajan en cualqueir lugar de Mexico. Te felicito y me siento orgullosa de que me permitas comunicarme contigo por este medio. Te manda saludos Juan Carlos, Manuel , Leo y Yo, te queremos y admiramos (Fam. Castillo Garcia)
Julieta Garcia
Raw Material Buyer
Ford Motor Company de Mexico.
Sólo quien ha dedicado su vida a trabajar en favor de los derechos de las mujeres y las niñas y contra la trata y la explotación sexual puede tener una idea tan clara de lo que hay que hacer y te felicito por esa claridad y compromiso, si educamos a los hombres jóvenes podemos tener cambios sustantivos que mejoren las vida de las mujeres ý acaben con todas las prácticas de violencia y discriminación de género. Estamos muy orgullosas de poder trabajar contigo en México. Te deseamos mucha suerte y que ganes. María, Lulú, Ana, Marilú, María Guadalupe, Griselda, Natalia, María Elena, Malena y Humberto.
R. Elena:
Tras tu figura de aparente fragilidad, escondes una amplia gama de fortalezas. Gracias por darnos -a quienes seguimos tu pista de lejos-, tantas satisfacciones; primero, tus logros en el viejo continente, luego tu fundación "gente nueva" y ahora, el haber sido nominado tu trabajo para la etapa final de ésta tan singular competencia. Confiamos que el jurado sabrá valorar la viabilidad de tu estudio P.E.T.I.S.O.S. que sugiere la solución a una problemática lacerantemente real; es una propuesta metodológica, incluyente, específica y sobre todo, que es tratada como un proyecto integral que podrá aplicarse casi de inmediato, en las grandes capitales de latinoamérica.
Tus amigos y familia de Salamanca, Mex. te otorgan su voto, envían saludos y abrazo.
UN SALUDO DESDE PUEBLA PRIMA.
ME DA MUCHO GUSTO SABER QUE ESTAS INMISCUIDA EN ESTA CLASE DE PROYECTOS TAN GRATIFICANTES Y LLENOS DE SATISFACCIONES. EN VERDAD ME ALEGRA, NO SABES. ME DA UN DURÍSIMO, DURONSÍSIMO ORGULLO SABERTE FINALISTA. MI VOTO ES POR TI.
UN BESO
Elena, conoco el trabajo y el compromiso. Por eso apoyo la propuesta PETISOS!
Hola Elena,
Le presento el programa de Alianza Emprendedora que promueve un trabajo digno a los colectores de basura reciclada. Ellos estan inscripton en nuestro website. Visitelos.
http://www.changemakers.net/en-us/node/8815
Besos,
Julia Forlani
Estimada Elena,
Sé que en otras oportunidades te he comentado que me gusta mucho el trabajo que están haciendo!
Es por ello que me gustaría que mires una de las propuestas que también fue presentada en esta competition. Se llama Fairmail cards y es de Perú. Si bien no son una organización social, están trabajando con jóvenes que realizan actividades de reciclado de la basura en lugar de ir a la escuela (realidad que te debe ser muy familiar). Lo que hacen desde FairMail es producir y vender greeting cards con fotos que son tomadas por esto jóvenes, quienes reciben el %50 de las ventas para invertir en su educación y mejora de sus hogares. Asimismo les dan seguro médico y los guían en su planificación a futuro.
Puedes mirar la propuesta por ellos presentada y ponerte encontacto con Peter den Hond (peter@fairmail.info). Te dejo también su pagina web http://www.fairmail.info/index.php?page=about
Un abrazo
Pato
Patricia Breuer Moreno
Changemakers Latinoamérica
pbreuer@ashoka.org