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EDUCATIONAL PRINCIPLES FROM DIFFERENT ASSOCIATIONS
Les enfants de Saint-Jean
Vilnius, Lithuania "At the outset (1996), a brother and 3 young Lithuanians, to find out, pinpoint the problems of these youths and suggest solutions adapted to their needs, went out into the streets of Vilnius, and, as elsewhere on other continents, met children alone, near the railway station, the supermarket, at the public refuse dump, on stair cases, in the underground heating system when it was cold... They got in touch with these children, afraid and almost silent. Communicating with them is difficult and discouraging: a first approach (tentative to set up a relationship) was made, nevertheless, by means of games, sport and thanks to bicycles and outing suggested by an instructor, a relationship began with Robertas, 13, who was soon rejoined by 5 others coming out of hiding meetings began on a regular basis. How to help them was, of course, the question which arose from these encounters and to which an answer was imperative, given the approach of winter. Finding a shelter was the first thing. After a lengthy discussion, the Town Hall agreed in principle to the creation of a refuge: on opening day in February 97, 3 children came to sleep. To be admitted, the children must respect 3 rules (common to all associate members of the REPER network): no stealing, no telling lies, no bringing drugs. At the outset, the children tried the patience of those in charge by glue sniffing in the entrance. They were turned out by the educators who, while downhearted at this decision, stayed firm in spite of the children's tears and prayers... Little by little, by insisting on the need to respect promises given, whether those of the educators or the children, transgressions become rare and confidence was born. About 15 children came to the refuge, 6 to 8 of them regularly, and these, progressively, asked to be taken off the street. For them the team opened (in the same place as the refuge) a section "observation centre": in the morning the children get schooling, in the afternoon sport and cultural activities. During this period, the educators follow up each and every outlet, to find families, contact them when this is possible and suitable, for 5 children this seems utopia, if not dangerous. These are families destroyed by poverty, of course, but above all by the Soviet system (education taken from parents and entrusted to State establishments) and by drink. Obliging the children to return to such families would be to ensure their ended back on the streets. For these children, the team has opened a home in the country presided over by 3 adults. The children attend the village school."
Nanban
Maduraï, India Nanban has organised an important arts and sports festival for the street children of Maduraï. Well over 500 children enthusiastically took part in competitions of sport, country dancing and elocution subjects mostly related to the difficulties and the rights of children. Prizes will be given to the winners during another festival organised by Nanban to celebrate its anniversary but more importantly to celebrate with children who don’t know their dates of birth. Nanban, its care workers and 75 children have been reflecting on the meaning of their life in respect of spirituality, religion, ethnic culture, the laws of the country. The aim was to make the children feel that they could make something of their lives, not endure it, to develop in them self esteem, mutual respect and tolerance. Resilience, that is the ability to react, applies at all levels: child, adult, family and community.
Virlanie
Manila, Philippines "The centre of creativity and therapy is a vital need of children: to express their emotions, their traumas, their past experiences (abandonment, abuse, living on the streets, etc.). It facilitates therapeutic support by individual consultations, group therapy and artistic expression in various fields.
Caritas
Bamako, Mali "The street rounds have facilitated the early departure of a maximum number of children from the streets, as the longer they stay there the less chance there is of recuperating them. They are guided to listening posts or to their families. Out of 64 new children, 17 have returned to their families. So that their return home becomes permanent and considered to be a success, the team places particular emphasis on the follow-up. These steps have enabled us to enrol 6 children in local state schools, which is a very strong encouragement for the others. Listening is a re-education technique which puts the children at ease and so as to obtain maximum information concerning their families and their particular problems and so on. After a period of stabilization, we examine the situation to see if the child can be sent back to its family and, if necessary, take the appropriate steps to facilitate his professional training or schooling. We have written a "Book for Beginners" for young workers (shoe-shiners, car attendants, porters, etc.). It is a simple handbook, easy to use by the animators and those who are close to the children, thanks to its illustrations, can identify with the people in the story." Doomi Neep listening centre
Senegal "Doomi Neep means "Children of the World". The idea of opening this listening post stemmed from the experience of the person in charge who collaborated with Enda Youth Action in the struggle against disinherited children. This is a focal point (it must be crossed to get to the capital or to another region) and a big rail centre, hence children in dispute with their families collect there. A family house, rented in the centre of town, takes in young people up to 17 years old. The team working there is also active outside. It covers the town in search of children wherever they congregate (railway or bus station, markets, cinema entrances, ...) and, by means of contact and discussion, tries to persuade them to come to the centre. Through chats and activities, it endeavours also to make the population aware and active partner in this action in aid of the children. The availability of a first aid stand in the street, and health care in general, is a neutral means often effective in making the first contact. Once in the centre, the children can have a shower, an "emergency" meal, and take part in useful activities learning to make footballs and to read and write, manual labour, ... Listening, as a means of re-education consists of gaining the children's confidence, sympathising with them and, by chatting, obtain the maximum information: particular problems, family relations, environment, ... After a stabilizing period, we seek contact or even return to, the family with, when necessary, logistics help to facilitate professional training or schooling. Help is offered to the "tabiles" (students of a marabout) who, entrusted to the Daara (Koranic school), are often parted from their families and lead very difficult lives: begging, often leading to truancy and life on the street. The listening post has written a "beginners’ book" for young workers (shoe-shiners, lighter fillers, looking after cars, etc.). It wanted to be a simple pleasant to look at booklet, easy to use by the educators and understandable for the children targeted who may, thanks to the illustrations, identify with the people in the stories."
La Belle Etoile
Cameroon "La Belle Etoile has taken in over two years about one hundred children full time and a similar number part time either during the day or by night. Around a thousand meals are served each month. "We must, however, beware of figures," writes Yves LESCANNE, "each child is a whole, of infinite worth, and infinities can't be added up (...). The sense of sharing is often amazingly developed in our children and we discover that it is not only us who teach them but also they who teach us, transform us, encourage us to share.". "Sometimes I no longer recognize this or that child from La Belle Etoile so suddenly do they change once they discover that they are worthy of interest, when those who show concern for them do so with no strings attached. Thus, with friendship and sharing, the torn social fabric is rewoven. With the smallest children this transformation is even more swift, almost instantaneous, but more fragile. Such was the case of Aladji, our youngest, 8 years old, who quickly let himself be hugged (...). After a few days, however, he suddenly disappeared. Was the wound too great, too deep? Was it the thirst for that deceptive freedom, which has the taste of emptiness and corresponds to a kind of interior wellbeing? The extraordinary instability of the children puts us to the test and obliges us continually to question ourselves in order to seek to adapt ourselves better to unexpected events. If we were a grand institution, I don't believe we should manage to cope, but our programmes, structures, infrastructure is light and easily adaptable. In the street, we suggest merely that they come to play football the next day, and, if they want to, come to school. We deal with the child as he is and where he is in an attempt to redress a few tiny steps adapted to his situation and instability. After that, we try to recreate a family life (...) in a little house with no more than six children and a monitor to safeguard the family atmosphere. (...) Often, the child asks to return to his home, much to our joy at La Belle Etoile, and this sometimes encourages the others to follow suit. This getting back to their roots is often more delicate than repotting the tomato plants they have done that very morning and is followed up by parish teams. In the afternoon there is a school, and, although regularity is not our children's strong point, they are full of enthusiasm. Many of them already speak French and have begun reading and counting. After school it's shower time, and then, at nightfall, the video. As I write to you, they are watching "Snow White". It is not the Kung Fu they are more accustomed to in the video clubs but they appreciate it all the same." In a last minute P.S. we find that: Aladji has come back, worn out, thin and dirty, but little by little his smile is returning.
Foyer pour Enfants Déshérités
Lomé, Togo The Foyers pour Enfants Déshérités without financial help from outside has sent 135 children to school of which 38, aged between 4 and 15, live in the home where they are fed, clothed and taken in care. "Saturday morning is the occasion for each child in turn to tell us of the problems he or she has met during the week, at school or in the home, and for us to seek their solution. Outings to arouse awareness are organised in districts where we plan to open new homes. Conference-debates, followed by a short theatrical performance allow parents to understand the importance of education for their children. We stress the importance for girls to be educated as they are often victim of abuse and forced marriage even before leaving school."
OPDE Burundi
Bujumbura, Burundi "We, who find ourselves in a war zone, experience great difficulties. The movement of homeless children advances at an alarming pace... Refugees from massacres, orphans whose families have been almost wiped out by war and by Aids (thus making their re-insertion impossible) can be counted in thousands. In 3 homes we have installed laying hens (200 per home) to generate revenue and improve food self-sufficiency. Once we have assessed the results, we intend to install this system in the other 4 homes. Unfortunately, the embargo imposed on our country since August 1996, which cuts us from the rest of the world, and the crisis which has shaken our country, have dispersed all those who had undertaken to support our plans : construction of the professional training centre, training in wealth-creating jobs, instructors, ... Security is improving slowly (our programmes work well, our children are well) but the economic situation worsen day by day and the soaring prices locally weight heavily on our budget." "OPDE Burundi has had an extremely difficult summer due to the war led by rebels into the very heart of its capital city. In spite of this, a new girls home was opened and has permitted a new distribution of the children. In October each of the 18 newly-qualified students, tailors or dressmakers, received a sewing machine and its tool box helping them to start-up their own business. The campaign "Youth in action for Youth", delayed by the dramatic events of July, finally took place in December. Our children, supervised by OPDE Burundi staff, met their old street-friends to offer leisure and sport activities, to listen to their needs and concerns, to advise on how to get away from life-on-the-streets, or to supply food, clothing and medicines. This programme has highlighted a degree of maturity amongst the youth of the OPDE Burundi, their sense of responsibility, their capacity to develop an idea and to put it to practice."
Fondation Solidarité des Hommes
Cyangugo, Rwanda "The Fondation Solidarité des Hommes (FSH) supervises street children as many of them spend their time in paid activities and refuse to go to a centre. FSH has located groups of children associated with a trade and setting up small corporations which, at times, are structured (water vendors, vendors of manufactured good, etc.).
ORPER
Kinshasa,Democratic Republic of Congo "ORPER is in permanent contact with the children who continue to live in the street. It helps them to organize themselves to improve their condition, it looks after their medical needs, protects them from exploitation, tackles them with subjects like sexuality, transmissible diseases, drugs. ORPER is not there to distribute donations or rewards, or organize activities. The instructors are there to encourage and support any initiative taken or proposals made by the children themselves. This attitude requires a great deal of rigor and permanent self-questioning. They often feel useful when they have something to distribute. This, however, is the way to destroy the real meaning of their presence in the street. Far from "assistance", what is needed is a participative approach involving the children in the action which they can take over: better than any one, they understand their problems and are, thus, best placed to propose effective solutions adapted to their circumstances. The children are "co-seekers" and principal actors in improving the conditions of their existence. "Our work with children and young people who live on the streets is educational. (...) They can receive medical treatment in our two dispensaries and we distribute food to them, but this is not our priority. Our first priority is to help these children become fully-fledged citizens and to achieve this goal through education. For example, young people earning their living by looking for customers for taxis thought that to avoid being questioned by the police, it would be useful if they had identity cards and paid income tax. This was done. Then they discovered that to be taken seriously, they should take more care of their appearance by cleaning and tidy. Two months later, they learned that this was not sufficient. Accustomed to using bad language, insulting people and getting angry quickly, they realised that they had to talk correctly and be polite. From time to time they become discouraged and this is when we intervene. In our educational work we do not impose a way of life. It is up to them to discover what is necessary to be taken seriously and to gain people’s respect and trust. We support any initiatives and steps they take in this direction. In the services they render to society, they discover true values and they try to integrate them into their way of life. Little by little, they change and become valuable members of society. Nothing is as simple or as easy as the situations I have just presented. But we are on the right track and we are advancing step by step. Often we take two steps forward and then one step backwards but we will continue to fight and to believe in spite of everything."
Catholic Action for Street Children
Accra, Ghana Catholic Action for Street Children (CAS) estimates at 30% the number of children on the street because of poverty, and 70% because of family problems. CAS suggests that family advisory groups be created in the various churches in all quarters. "This will require no additional expenditure and will prevent lots of children ending up on the street. (...) Educating children on the street corner requires training: if each educator uses his or her personal method, the children will be perplexed and may not receive coherent information. We have thus been obliged to organize a simple "teaching" in two parts (hygiene and health on the one hand, reading/writing and behaviour on the other) which can be helpful to all educators whatever their training or their position in CAS. (...) It is not enough for a child to say "I want to get off the streets", the child must be helped to prepare itself. Many of them do not know what they want to do or aren't ready to give up their freedom to do it. CAS wants to help them to learn a trade or to go back to school provided they take the initiative."
Centre Notre-Dame de Clairvaux
Madagascar The Centre Notre Dame de Clairvaux, created by Father Bernard, was taken over in 1984 by the Salesians of Don Bosco. In an educational climate based on the family, it welcomes 150 young people aged between 12 and 22 from Antananarivo. Reception, bringing up to scholastic standard, professional training (woodwork, metalwork, masonry, agriculture, husbandry) are provided for these young people, as well as artistic activities (choirs, music, theatre, decoration, etc.), sport (football, basketball, karate, volleyball) or leisure (video, library, conferences, newspapers). The training programme must always be a proposal that must be accepted by the youth. Personalized itineries must therefore be created to help them grow up, with varying levels of achievement. Social insertion is effected through professional activity and follow up is guaranteed by the "after centre", through partner associations.
Amar
Salvador de Bahia, Brésil Amar composes 4 teams of 4 or 5 youngsters, each in a different home. A general meeting of everyone is held once a month on a Saturday; on the other Saturdays house meetings rotate. The children choose a subject for discussion (e.g., violence, sexuality, liberty, etc.) and the Amar team writes up a text, which has the advantage of making the children read and understand! It also helps them to formulate their thoughts and to fix certain rules, and to resolve conflicts. And after all the text remains...
What is meant by "rehabilitation of the child"?
Article 5 of the Rufisque Charter states: "Whenever possible, priority is given to a stable and long-lasting return to the family". For the participant, the ambitions/goals for rehabilitation are: To achieve this, the problems are numerous. All the participants agreed that the children could not be helped unless they were housed properly. But it is necessary that the shelters be open to the immediate environment and that their living conditions are not at odds with those of the neighbourhood, both for the children and for the neighbours. However, the luxury starts every soon: to have a bed and enough to eat... How to finance loans to launch, for example, an activity? Study proposal - Several participants in the meeting agreed to start considering the rehabilitation of children through agricultural activities. Children are usually very much at ease with animals, following once more the natural rhythms of the seasons and, in every sense, picking the fruits of their efforts. These factors, among others, are likely to retain them in rural activities and thus reversing the flow of migration to the cities.
 Created on 17 november, 2007 - Updated on 28 november, 2007 |
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+ 370 2 6 55
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+ 370 2 6 55
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