FCBARCELONA.CAT

Location:

Beneficiaries: the most vulnerable children in a highly underprivileged district, the “chamberitos” (children and young people that work in rubbish dumps).

The main beneficiaries of the Portoviejo Centre will be children and adolescents aged between 8 and 16 years in the district of San Pablo, one of the most underprivileged in the province. Among the main objectives of the Centre is that of providing schooling and integral support to dozens of boys and girls known as “chamberitos” that work in the municipal rubbish dumps about two kilometres south of the location chosen for the Solidarity Centre.

The collection of rubbish from the dumps is generally done by families in situations of extreme poverty that, in order to cover their basic needs, are often obliged to take their children to work with them. These children are not only caught in the trap of child labour but also lack their basic right to education, and are consistently faced by the danger of being bitten by animals, catching digestive diseases or being infected through contact with toxic substances and syringes.

Main activities of the XICS Project–Ecuador for 2008:

Integral support for 100 vulnerable children in the first year. This includes:

Daily nutritional support for the boys and girls registered in the centre.

Schooling of the children that do not go to school (“chamberitos” that work in the rubbish dump).

Informal education for boys and girls out of school.

School support for boys and girls that do attend school.

Health care and psycho-social support (paediatric monitoring).

Access to sport and leisure.

Workshops for the vocational training of the young people.

Awareness and education in relation to health, hygiene and nutrition issues.

Adult literacy.

Promotion of sport among all the boys and girls in the community.

Collaborators:

• Fe y Alegría- Ecuador
• Manabí Provincial Council
• Municipality of Portoviejo
• Archdioceses of Portoviejo