Regions: Africa   Asia   Latin America


Name of Organization: Centro Ecuménico de Integración Pastoral (CEIPA)

Country: Guatemala

Project Title: "Prevention and Reduction of Child Labor in the City of Quetzaltenango, Guatemala"

Project Timeframe: 12 Months

Location of Project: City of Quetzaltenango

Budget Amount: $100,000.00

NGO contact and website:
Mr. Ricardo Garcia
Apartado Postal 367
Quetzaltenango 8a
Calle 19-33 Zona 3, Quetzaltenango – Guatemala
Office: 00 11 502 763 5916 or 00 11 502 676 3695
Fax: 00 11 502 767 3617
Email: ceipa@intelnet.net.gt
Website: www.metabase.net/miembros/index.phtml/ceipa

Project's Primary Objective: Objective # 2 - Strengthening Formal and Informal Educational System

Description of Organization: The Ecumenical Center for Pastoral Integration (CEIPA) was founded in 1989 as an outreach ministry of Saint Mark's Episcopal Church in Quetzaltenango, for the purpose of providing assistance to child victims of the internal armed conflict. CEIPA is a non-profit, civilian, social welfare association that contributes to the dissemination of child laborer rights and hazards. CEIPA's purpose was modified when a study undertaken by the University of San Carlos determined that a sector in need of urgent attention was that of child and youth laborers. From 1989-1995 CElPA oriented its programs toward alternative education, health and nutrition, vocational training and the promotion of children's rights for child laborers. Presently, CEIPA carries out activities in the following municipalities: Almolonga, Coatepeque, Salcaji, San Juan Ostuncalco, Quetzaltenango, La Esperanza, and four municipalities in the neighboring department of Retalhuleu. It has directly affected and contributed to reduce working hours for an average of 750 child and adolescent laborers each year. CElPA strives to be a sustainable, decentralized and a consolidated organization, and a center of reference in relation to children and their rights, capable of generating and strengthening replicable, democratic, educational, organizational and participatory processes with children, adolescents, and families and influencing state and society to fulfill their responsibilities in the behalf of children's rights.

Description of Project funded by CIRCLE: Prevention and Reduction of Child Labor in the City of Quetzaltenango, Guatemala is a project whose goal is to prevent and reduce child labor in the city of Quetzaltenango by means of broader coverage and improved access to and quality of formal and non-formal educational systems, mobilization of child and adolescent laborers, and awareness raising. The project will directly benefit a total of 300 children (55% girls and 45% boys) with access to formal public-school education (primary school), with classes to prepare children at a level corresponding to their grade with vocational training. There are two distinct target groups: the first one is children between ages 7 and 14 and the other between ages 14-17. Additionally, CEIPA will engage children and adolescents to actively participate in the promotion of their rights in the effort to prevent and reduce child labor, to foster democratic participation, and work closely with national and local authorities, community members, families and media to raise awareness. CEIPA will work with families to increase the relevance of education so that parents agree to enroll children in school. The organization will monitor the attendance and performance of children in school together with parents as to avoid dropouts and increase persistence. Furthermore, for children who are behind in their grade level who do not meet the school’s requirements, CEIPA will design an educational needs assessment to identify alternative educational systems where children can be prepared to later move into the formal educational system. For children between 14-17, CEIPA will provide course material needed and orientation and academic reinforcement for children to enroll and attend official vocational training programs. Academic reinforcement will be a cross-cutting activity for all children as beneficiaries of the project.

Project Targets (Common Indicators):
Enrollment: 300 children enrolled in educational programs
Persistence: 270 children
Transition: 240 children and adolescents will transition from non-formal educational systems into public schools
Conclusion: 240 children and adolescents (80% of the total number of beneficiaries) will finish their educational program