9-year old Miguelito lives in the Quichà indigenous area, in the central highlands of Guatemala. He lives with his parents Francisco, 27, and MarÃa, 26, who earn their living by weaving traditional clothes and selling them at markets. Miguelito has three sisters Jessica, 4, Leslie, 3, and Sucely, 2. Together they share a small adobe house, and, like everyone else in their small community, they live on greens, beans and rice.
Their community has a small health centre and one school.
Now in his third year of primary school, Miguelito`s grades are great. He likes language class best, but writing and drawing are close seconds. His love for learning began with his participation at an early childhood development centre supported by ChildFund Guatemala. Now that he is of school-age, he participates in a ChildFund project which is focused on improving the self-expression and confidence of children through games, theatre and other activities.
“I like to paint, write and to join in different activities. One of my dreams is to study really hard to become a doctor to help people in my community and to support my family,” says Miguelito. “When I finish my homework from school I help my father carry wood from the field to our house; we use it to cook. Sometimes I play soccer, I love to do this!”
MarÃa, Miguelito`s mother (pictured below), is pleased with her son`s progress and spirit. “My child was very shy years ago, but now he likes to talk with other people. At school he is doing well, he likes to participate more. I can see that there is a change, the self-esteem activities have helped him.”
Education is essential to breaking the cycle of poverty for Miguelito and his family. More than 18,000 children in Guatemala are benefitting from ChildFund’s work to help address the challenges they face in their lives everyday.
For many Hondurans, life is hard. Around 65 per cent of the country’s population lives below the poverty line, unemployment is high in many areas, and crime is a serious and persistent problem. Gang violence, organized crime and the highest rate of homicide in the world makes Honduras a dangerous place to live, especially for children and youths.
Often, young people feel compelled to join gangs for protection or companionship, or out of fear. Some children as young as 11 are recruited into gangs and are forced to perform criminal activities for older members. Social exclusion and a lack of opportunities contribute to the feelings of hopelessness that many children and youths experience, so intervention is crucial if the generational cycle of poverty and gang crime is to be broken.
Criminal gangs cause a variety of complex problems. Many teachers have reported that gangs have created problems in their schools. Bullying and other kinds of threatening behaviour create a culture of fear among students, sometimes causing youths to drop out of school, which has negative impacts on their future opportunities and on the Honduran population at large.
ChildFund has worked in Honduras since 1982, and one of our primary goals is to give youths the tools to create positive change in their lives and in their communities. We believe that a key strategy of reducing poverty in Honduras is ensuring that youths have access to vocational training and educational opportunities.
To date, ChildFund has enrolled 4,843 Honduran youths in training and professional development programs. In addition, 803 youths have received training in areas such as auto repair, electrical engineering, clothing alteration and carpentry, providing them with the skills they need to find work and support themselves as independent adults.
Along with these programs, we have also helped work with more than 900 youths in community engagement. These young people will champion children’s rights and identify areas where change can be made, bringing hope to their communities and offering them the chance to make a lasting difference.
