Support to the Center Virgen Nina
Project location: Bolivia, El Alto
Project start date: December 2009 -
Project end date: This project covers various years
Project number: 2008-36
Beneficiary: Associaciòn XXI
Since 2010, the Center has been active in the following areas of intervention:
Teaching Area:
Alternative Center for Special Education (CEA-EE) "Virgin Niña -EPBD"
The Center started its activities with 87 disabled children, aged from 6 months to 12 years. From February to July the number of assisted children has risen up to 140, and this figure is surely destined to increase. This means that families are gaining confidence in the Center, slowly defeating their feelings of shame and fear.
"Manitos" Programme for Infant Development
The programme started in February with 222 children, aged from 1 to 6 years, reaching the total number of 240 children at the end of July. For the year 2010, the inscriptions were reduced to allow for a better arrangement of the classrooms for special kids. It was a difficult decision to take, but nevertheless important to guarantee the necessary priorities.
Educational Area:
Educators Training
All the educators took part to training courses and workshops on the following issues:
- Scholastic integration of children with disabilities;
- Autism;
- Psychomotility of disabled children;
- Integrated development of the 0-6 months old child;
- Values learning process;
- Dance-therapy;
- Development of classroom projects;
- Difficulties of language;
- Hygienic habits;
- Domestic violence;
- Health and nutrition
Family and Community Area:
This area of activities comprised the participation of mothers, fathers and tutors of the assisted children to their activities. From January to July 2010 the following activities have been carried out:
- Family counselling
- Evaluation of the socio-economic status of families
- Seminars and training courses on healthcare, education and nutrition.
- Home visits to the families to suggest them improvements of life quality.
Health Area:
Interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary intervention by various professionals: doctors, nurses, dentists, psychologists, speech therapists, and physiotherapists. From January to July 2010 the following activities have been carried out:
- Development of diagnostic evaluations and of plans of intervention
- Individual/group therapy, and medical check ups
- Medicines delivery
- Seminars, conferences and training courses on various issues ( healthcare, education, nutrition, self-support groups)
Nutrition Area
- Providing dried food to needy families and elderly people
- Menu elaboration and food preparation by the nutritionist
- Elaboration worksheets for food check, equipment cleaning, as well as for the secretary's office and the pharmacy.
- Ordering fresh vegetables and food to the providers.
- Cleaning and maintenance of the dining room, the classrooms, the chapel and the other premises.
Inter-institutional Relations Area
Coordination with:
- The Office for the Defence of Infancy and Youth
- The Department for the Protection of Family
- The Office for the Protection of Elderly and Disabled People
- The El Alto Town Council
- The National Committee of Disabled People
- Various Associations of disabled children's parents
Agreements with various institutions:
- Hospitals, Sanitary and Alternative Education Centers.
- Public and Private Universities, with the aim to bring students specializing in Education and Communication Sciences to carry out vocational trainings within the Center.
Cooperation with:
- Training Centers in the sector of Higher Education, and Technical Schools
- The People's Mediator
- Various Catholic Church's institutions
- El Alto Town Council and Prefecture
- El Alto District's Center for Educational Services
- Network of disabled residents of El Alto
Financial Help:
During 2010 , financial assistance was granted to cover the medical expenses of indigent families. The Center partially or totally covered the expenses for the hospitalization of children and their families.
Scholastic Council
The Center is provided with a scholastic council, headed by a director and composed also of the children's parents, which coordinates the educational activities of the Center. Difficulties are numerous and public institutions are too often the cause rather than the solution of the daily problems. The persons to be assisted every day are more than 1000; the Center's staff is nonetheless composed of tenacious, and well trained people, and the general working environment is very quiet.
