Bruce Organisation in Latin America

educating street kids in Latin America; converting child laborers into students; building a shelter for pregnant teen rape victims; dealing with family violence, promoting woman's rights

HOW OUR PROJECT WORKS

We go into the poorest communities where :the highest concentrations of out-of-school children can be found: and we recruit them. When we have enough, we either open our own school or else gain the use of a classroom in a local state school: and there we begin the rehabilitation and education of these children.

1. Teams of social workers, community leaders and sometimes volunteers go out into the barrios looking for child laborers and semi abandoned children. They recruit them, meet their mothers, generally spread our message throughout the community..

2. When we have enough children we begin to hold community meetings with the children, families and community mmbers.We explain our mission - to get these children help and education: and we ask for the parents and communities to cooperate.

3. With the acquiesce of the children, moral support of the families and local community: we begin classes for the children

4. In the summer months - when school is out - we work with children who are young enough to put in the first grade(children who would not have gone to school had we not found them). And when it is time for school to start they are well prepared; we pay

5. During the regular school year we recruit and teach children who missed their opportunity to get into school when they were young enough to enter first of second grade; and now it is too late for them: children aged from 8 to 18, many illiterate or ne

6. Once we have gotten children into state school, we continue to work with them; visiting at least once a month to hold a club meeting, at which we give prizes for attendance and grades, play games, provide refreshments, and the social workers help.