2005. Quetzaltenango, in the southwestern highlands of Guatemala, is the second largest city in the country. Protective legislation concerning the rights and safety of children in Guatemala exists on paper, but in practice, children and adolescents are still laboring in unsafe conditions, and many are not receiving an education. The child labor rate in the city increases annually due to population growth (with more-and-more rural families immigrating to the city) and the ever-increasing economic crisis. Children mainly work as street vendors, domestic workers, truck driver's helpers (lifting packages, etc.) and quarry workers.

Centro Ecumenico de Integración Pastoral (CEIPA), Winrock's local CIRCLE partner, goals include improving the awareness of national and local authorities, the community, families and the news media, so that each assumes its respective responsibilities toward the prevention and reduction of child labor. CEIPA believes that the way to lasting change will involve using children and adolescents as part of the solution to their own problems.

In one of its initiatives occurring during the International Day of Labor, CEIPA initiated a dialogue between seven adolescent leaders and key government authorities in Quetzaltenango. The youths talked to education, police, and human rights authorities during the celebration. Approximately 170 beneficiaries participated. During the dialogue, children and youth created a symbolic "vaccine" called "Immunization against Indifference towards Children and Adolescent Workers." They administered the vaccine to each authority, who was then given the title "Friend of Vulnerable Children."

After the immunization activity, CEIPA was able to build on the public interest generated towards their program by training a group of children and youth in media techniques. Assisted by the communitarian radio station of Quetzaltenango, they are the "Teens' Voice" and disseminate information about the rights of children and adolescents, the risks of child labor, and the importance of education for their future.


To date, CEIPA's CIRCLE project has directly assisted over 200 children and adolescents. Many more have been affected through the project's public awareness efforts. 177 children and adolescents are participating in the project's education activities, with 159 children (76 boys and 83 girls) assisted in companion programs to the formal public schools and 18 adolescents (7 boys and 11 girls) in non-formal programs. With 8-hours a day dedicated to learning in organized programs, children are improving their performance and are decreasing the time available for labor activities.

Funding provided by the United States Department of Labor under cooperative agreements E-9-K-2-0048 and E-9-K-4-0005.
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