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Ecuador: Improving the living conditions of youngsters in the province of Carchi
Active in Ecuador since 1988, Terre des hommes (Tdh) is now aiding children from marginalized groups. In the province of Carchi, a traffic zone near the Colombian frontier, the youngsters are used like mules to transport merchandise and sell it. So as to improve the living conditions of these children, in 2013 the Prefecture of Carchi instituted Provincial Regulations for Child Protection, a measure that envisages the strong involvement of young people in the development of public policies.
This innovative approach relies on partnership between the Carchi Prefecture and the Tdh delegation in Ecuador. In this framework, Tdh has helped with setting up the Provincial Youth Assembly, essentially composed of young people between 6 and 18 years old, aiming at putting the Regulations into action. In January 2014, a programme for capacity building of the young leaders was set up by Tdh, in partnership with the ‘Maison des Jeunes’ (MDJ) (Youth House) in Tulcan. The Foundation organized training seminars and practical workshops to strengthen the leadership skills of instructors at the MDJ, as well as those of some 40 young leaders aged 14 to 18. Parallel to this, Tdh also organized a survey of adolescents in the province to better understand their needs and the problems they are faced with.
The results of the survey were outlined at the first meeting of the Provincial Youth Assembly, which was attended by more than 65 young people. The results indicated that interfamily and school violence, addictions, the lack of places and activities for recreation, not to mention the bands of young criminals, are the main obstacles the youngsters encounter. Split into several working groups, the young people had the target of suggesting solutions to the problems raised. These solutions in the form of advocacy would be addressed to the authorities, who would then be responsible for formulating a proposal for plans of actions to respond to the issues.
By the end of this year, their proposal will be submitted for approval to the second meeting of the Provincial Youth Assembly. The role of the Assembly will be to check the application and monitoring of the activities, to assess the impact of the projects implemented, to raise the youngsters’ awareness, and to set up actions for accountability.
The Tdh delegation will accompany the Provincial Youth Assembly both directly and indirectly through on-going training courses for the representatives of the youths, the authorities and the MDJ instructors.
Every year, Tdh helps to bring about positive change in the daily life of more than two million children and their families. Learn more about our projects in Ecuador.
