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Mains lines of action of the programme

To define the main lines of action of this global plan for the protection of vulnerable children, we should consider two important texts:

• 'Convention on the Rights of the Child' approved in 1989.
• The United Nations’ 'Millennium Development Goals', where six of the eight objectives are aimed at children and are included in this programme

To promote Universal Education for all boys and girls, without any type of discrimination.

The Solidarity Centres promote the registration of all children at their corresponding state schools, and at the same time, the centre’s educators provide extracurricular support and thoroughly monitor their performances.

The centres also promote education from a less formal perspective that helps children who have never been to school, or who have done so on a very irregular basis, to achieve their full potential.

These centres include such educational activities as vocational workshops for older children, computer classes, sessions dealing with values, literacy and remedial support, along with hours spent on play, leisure and doing sports.

Guarantee access to health care for the most vulnerable children.

The XICS offer the registered children integral care that includes the following services:

• Regular health check-ups, which monitor vaccinations, psycho-motor and emotional development, and also the detection of diseases and health disorders and provide the right treatment for each case.
• Monitoring of the growth and nutritional support of the children and early detection of anaemia and malnutrition.
• Educational sessions on health, nutrition and hygiene aimed at both children and their families. These sessions provide the keys for improving knowledge of basic health issues, which help prevent future outbreaks of the most common diseases in the region. The sessions go much further than simply talking about the issues, the aim is to listen to and share experiences with parents (always respecting local cultures and beliefs)  and therefore help them understand how important these aspects are for improving the quality both of their own lives and those of their children.
  

To provide children with psycho-social support.

The work aims to help the children develop positive attitudes to their everyday lives in relation to the people around them, and to find a way of solving the social or family conflicts that they are directly affected by.

Sport is used as an especially powerful tool for working on children’s psycho-social conditions, while work is currently being done on any other everyday issues that may affect these boys and girls:

• Resolve problems and learn to make decisions.
• Combine both creative and critical thinking.
• Be able to communicate efficiently and learn the skills required for interpersonal relationships.
• Learn about self-awareness and empathy towards others.
• Learn to handle stress and emotions.

Guarantee access to sport and leisure.

XICS have adequate sports facilities, football pitches and multi-sports courts for such sports and basketball, handball or futsal.

They also promote the proper practice of sport and physical activity among young people and place a special emphasis on sport not as an end in itself, but as an instrument for integration and for benefiting development.

Children’s access to sport, especially in certain contexts and cultures, is a challenge that forms one of the main issues of the programmes. Work is also done on cultural aspects and local beliefs, which are often key factors determining gender equality issues.