Fund A Project
Bolivia: Super Defenders
Partner: Juana Azurduy Centre
The Location: Sucre, Bolivia
Direct Beneficiaries: 1,800 children and adults
The Challenge: Half of the four million children in Bolivia live in poverty. Regarded as the poorest country in South America, it is estimated that there are 800,000 children living on the streets of Bolivia. Most of these boys and girls have been orphaned or abandoned by their parents. Others have escaped abusive homes – a significant problem in Bolivia with two-thirds of all children in the country reporting physical, emotional or sexual abuse. On the streets, children are exposed to crime and drug use, gang life, prostitution. They face seemingly insurmountable odds and daily battles for survival.
The Solution: The Juana Azurduy Centre in Sucre, Bolivia works to defend the rights of women, children and adolescents who are victims of violence. In response to the high rates of child abuse reported throughout the country, they’ve created and launched the ‘Super Defenders’ child rights educational program. It’s an interactive educational tool used in schools to inform children, teachers, parents and guardians of child rights.
The program encourages children and adolescents to understand their rights and develop the capacity to defend their own rights.
Key Activities
Public Awareness and Community Sessions: Through public dialogue sessions, educational dramas, poster campaigns and radio programs, the project reaches out to thousands of community members, helping to increase awareness of child and women’s rights.
Provision of Educational Materials: Using age-appropriate materials (including puppets) for children and adults, the Super Defenders educational materials teach the basics of children’s rights. Magazines, books and comics are provided for all program participants.
Core Educational Principals
Abusive Behaviour: The Super Defenders educational sessions teach both parents and children about what behaviours are determined to be abusive. The sessions cover abuses ranging from verbal and emotional to psychological and physical.
The Long-Term Effects of Abuse: Often disguised or rationalized as discipline, child abuse in Bolivia has been severely misunderstood. The Super Defenders program educates teachers, parents and guardians on the short and long-term negative effects of child abuse.
Alternatives to Abusive Parenting: The Super Defenders program offers tips to cope with anger and suggestions on healthy disciplining alternatives to abuse, for example, non-violent discipline such as taking away games and toys as a form of punishment rather than denying children food or using physical abuse.
Budget: $9,750.00
Making a World of Difference: With your help, Canadian Feed The Children assisted more than 3,669 street children in Bolivia in 2010. CFTC provided food, shelter, counselling and group therapy, hygiene products, school supplies, uniforms, clothes, shoes and medical and dental care to Bolivian children.
The Super Defenders program is a key element of this support, which works proactively to promote child rights throughout the community, preventing another generation of street children in Bolivia.
You can help! Donate today or contact Cheryl Weldon for detailed information on this project and others.
