• Monica benefits from a safer school

    Monica Fernanda | Photo Credit: Save the Children Columbia

    Monica Fernanda, 15, lives with her mother and two brothers in the city of Pasto, Colombia. Their home is in a barrio, or neighbourhood, that is highly unsafe. Children and youth cannot use the parks freely because of the fighting and crime.

    At Monica’s school, gang members wait by the doors to offer drugs to the students. This usually results in fighting. Gang activity has adversely affected education in the community because the gangs stir up fights and attempt to claim the school as gang territory.

    “Safety at our school has improved since Save the Children arrived,” Monica says, “because they gave us an opportunity to suggest strategies to reduce the violence.”

  • “Youth groups have developed to promote activities that help children and youth stay away from gangs and make good use of their spare time.”

    As well, a traditional music group and a communications group are helping children and youth express their opinions, and engage in useful activities instead of being out on the streets. The change has been so significant that parents have started attending workshops too.


    Helping children access quality education

    Education is one of the most powerful tools for breaking the cycle of poverty. Save the Children’s vision is for children to receive a quality education and acquire the skills and knowledge they need for success in the 21st century. This is every child’s right, regardless of gender, ethnicity, social class, income, or whether they live in conflict zones.

    We believe education must be relevant to a child’s cultural context. For example, Indigenous children need materials in their heritage language as well as the national language.  Children in conflict zones need to learn about peacebuilding. Youth in high-unemployment areas need to learn vocational skills and small business skills.

  • Children displaced by natural disasters need educational opportunities. All schooling must be relevant and inclusive for boys and girls alike.

    Education is central to Save the Children’s global strategy. We focus on four areas: early childhood development, basic primary and secondary education, education for youth empowerment, and education in emergencies.

2011 Results

Our work in Colombia drew particular attention in 2011. Save the Children, funded by CIDA and supported by BULGARI, partnered with the Norwegian Refugee Council to reach children in conflict zones, with special attention to the Afro-Colombian population, Indigenous populations, and children affected by conflict.

36,000

children
reached

in Colombia, a country where civil conflict, fuelled by the drug trade, has caused hardship and suffering for 50 years.

Helping to develop ethnic education, including a bilingual curriculum for the Awa Indigenous people in Nariño, an area of great need.

Finishing the five-year project “As We Learn We Grow,” a program involving 24 schools, flexible models for out-of-school children, teacher training, peace-building, child participation, vocational skills development, and emphasis on reading, writing and mathematics.

Working closely with governments and schools to plan, implement, and assess results. Quality measures provided by national tests show a clear improvement in areas where Save the Children works.

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