Context
of the project :
Colombia has been the field of a
continuous internal war, where the
guerrilla, narco-trafficants and
para-military groups fight regardless
of the rural population which, in
order to run from the violence,
takes refuge in the cities, thereby
creating so-called “invasion”
neighbourhoods in the outskirts
of the city. Bogotá, the
capital, has consequently seen its
population increase from 5 to 10
million inhabitants within ten years.
80% of these families live in these
miserable neighbourhoods, poverty
and disarray have engendered a severe
violence which swoops down on families;
children are the first victims.
Mission Enfance has been acting
against the violence imposed on
children, in Bogota and other regions
of Colombia throught the implantation
of “toy and game libraries”.
In eight years, the association
has created a network of 6 centres,
concentrating on the problems encountered
by the children : violence in Santa
Marta and la Uvita. Racial denigration
in the Choco region, towards the
Afrodescendientes, descendants of
the African slaves at the time of
the conquistadors. Neglect and poverty
of the Indians of Amazonia in Letitia.
Project
: In Ciudad Bolivar,
Bogota's shanty-town, Mission Enfance
has created and supported fourteen
years ago, a toy and game library
that welcomes over 1.000 children
each month. This project is carried
out under the direction and control
of our local coordinator, Françoise
Bardon. Each child is under the
surveillance of psychologists who
are to help them evacuate the daily
violence lived within the family.
Ciudad Bolivar will function in
2010 with 8 people (librarian, game
librarian, coordinator, guardian,
cleaning lady). Martial art as well
as gymnastic lessons are given to
mothers.
On the whole of our game libraries'
network in Colombia, we support
the functioning expenses (main game
librarian's wage, toys endowment,
equipment). This year, the training
will take place in Bogota, gathering
all the toy and games librarians
of Mission Enfance.
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| Bogota
- Colombia |
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An itinerant
game librarian plays with
street children
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Game
library in Leticia Amazonia |
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| Our
projects in 2010
Budget
needed in 2010 : 71.725
€
Beneficiaries
:
9.000 children in average
per year |
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| Game
library of Ciudad Bolivar
(Bogotá) and our team |
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| Game
library of Santa Marta |
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Game
library in Condoto - Choco |
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| Françoise,
our coordinator with children
of Choco |
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SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
Support
to a network of game libraries on
the Colombian territory
Each
of these game libraries is imperatively
initiated with the implication of
the state’s institutions.
After every exploratory mission
carried out by our local coordinator
and a member of the head office
in Monaco, establishing the creation
of a new game library, an agreement
is set between the organization
in Colombia and the municipality
or the local administrative area
authorities. This partnership contract
determines the sharing out of tasks
between Mission Enfance and the
local authorities and the availability
of the building, the functioning
expenses (game librarian’s
salaries) or the endowment in toys.
Each of these
game libraries has a play room,
a library and a fenced garden. They
are purposely set up in the most
underprivileged neighbourhoods where
misery, alcohol, drugs and violence
reign. Many are located on territories
subdued to guerrilla attacks, in
order to allow children to have
another image of man than the one
of an armed and cruel warrior. In
these difficult zones, deliberately
chosen for the important rate of
violence thus the importance of
our psychological work with the
children, Mission Enfance’s
teams must face the regular security
and communication restrictions or
sociological pressure. Mishaps are
numerous but never permanently hinder
our programs.
In the game
libraries, the staff welcomes children
from 3 to 20 years old, each day,
by shift of 2 to 4 hours. Mothers
bring their children to the game
library, when they are less than
3 in order to also work on the families
of the communities.
Once there,
the children choose their toys,
the game librarians always available
and caring to the children, orient
them, explain the use of these toys
and through the experience of game,
pass on a certain number of messages
on logic, values and respect of
the other. Therefore they establish
a privileged affective relationship
often absent in the children’s
families.
Aims
The
targets of the toy and game libraries
are :
1. Give a normal and serene childhood
to the children victim of violence
in the shanty towns.
2. Bring them confidence and self-esteem.
3. Give a human refuge to the children.
4. School support given to the children
with the school books available
in the libraries and the presence
of a pedagogical team.
5. Socio psychological work towards
the inhabitants, through the mothers.
6. Training and follow up the work
of the game librarians (annual training
session in Bogotá).
7. Training our coordinator with
training missions in France.
Mission
Enfance Colombia establishes its
program, depending on the areas,
according to the set of problems
encountered.
- In the Choco, populated by Afrodescendientes,
descendants of the African slaves
at the time of the conquistadors,
the game library of Condoto has
for mission to give back confidence
to these coloured children, isolated
and little integrated to the rest
of Colombia. Also, more and more
children are displaced in the Choco,
because of the violence between
the guerrilla and the paramilitary
forces. These young children are
very often disorientated and considered
as a population at risk. They flee
to cities, without recourse.
- The game library in Ciudad Bolivar
fights against the abandonment of
the children left to them-selves
and fallen in delinquency.
- In Amazonia, the children live
in insalubrious neighbourhoods,
gathering populations immigrated
from Brazil and Peru. The game library
becomes a place where people from
different communities and culture
meet up. On the banks of the Amazonian
river, in Puerto Narino, the itinerant
game libraries are there to fight
the isolation of deprived populations.
These Indian populations are confronted
with the brutal arrival of the occidental
civilisation and its direct consequences:
loss of cultural identity, alcoholism,
drugs and sicknesses.
- The game library of La Uvita is
located in the so-called «
red zone », at odds with the
guerrilla, a region close to Venezuela
and offers an oasis of peace to
the children.
- In Santa Marta lives a native
population fleeing from the guerrilla
to take refuge in shanty towns or
sort of ghetto. Our two game libraries
orient their psychological work
towards the mix of communities,
between half-castes and coloured
population, as well as on the violence
within families. Playing in the
game library erases the differences
of colour!
Results
1- Conclusive
psychomotor development of the
child: after six months spent
in our game libraries, the children
find joy again and the level of
aggressiveness decreases considerably
in the human relationships, assuring
them a better schooling and increased
concentration faculties.
2- Consciousness of the mothers
concerning the respect and consideration
they have for their children.
3- Communication and language
improve.
Internal evaluation investigations
are regularly carried out by the
local staff. Meetings between
game librarians, led by our coordinator
in Colombia.
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