We go into the poorest communities where :the highest concentrations
of out-of-school children can be found: and we recruit them. When
we have enough, we either open our own school or else gain the use
of a classroom in a local state school: and there we begin the rehabilitation
and education of these children.
1 - Teams of social workers, community leaders and
sometimes volunteers go out into the barrios looking for child laborers
and semi abandoned children. They recruit them, meet their mothers,
generally spread our message throughout the community..
2 - When we have enough children we begin to hold community
meetings with the children, families and community mmbers.We explain
our mission - to get these children help and education: and we ask
for the parents and communities to cooperate.
3 - With the acquiesce of the children, moral support
of the families and local community: we begin classes for the children.
4 - In the summer months - when school
is out - we work with children who are young enough to put in the
first grade(children who would not have gone to school had we not
found them). And when it is time for school to start they are well
prepared; we pay their registrations, uniforms etc. (always trying
to get the families to participate as much as possible)..Our success
rate at getting these children into school is 100%; at keeping them
there for the first year: 93%.
5 - During the regular school year we
recruit and teach children who missed their opportunity to get into
school when they were young enough to enter first of second grade;
and now it is too late for them: children aged from 8 to 18, many
illiterate or nearly so. Of these children many can be brought up
to the level of education required to get into regular school at
or near to the grade they should be in, had they been going to school
all these years. Our success rate at this is 60%. Of the 40% who
do not get into school during the first year, half will get in later,
and the rest we will continue to educate ourselves.
6 - Once we have gotten children into
state school, we continue to work with them; visiting at least once
a month to hold a club meeting, at which we give prizes for attendance
and grades, play games, provide refreshments, and the social workers
help. |
