Education for 250 working children in Chiapas

EDUCATION FOR 250 WORKING CHILDREN IN CHIAPAS- REPORT

2017 UPDATE

As we have been told you, this year we are celebrating our 20^th anniversary! As part of the celebration, we facilitated a two-day forum on August 11 and 12. We want to share with you a video that compile the voices of children and adolescent in relation to Lekil Kuxlejal (good living in Totsil, one of the most important indigenous languages of Chiapas.) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pW50gu97DTA&feature=youtu.be

Strengthening working children’s knowledge and social abilities

As you already know, the educational sessions that we give to working children at their places of work form one of the pillars of Melel Xojobal’s work.

At this point in the year, we have given at total of 83 educational sessions with an average duration of two hours each, to a total of 243 working children.

These educational sessions are part of the Learning Circles we do each year, each one with a specific theme and purpose. The Learning Circles completed up to this point in the year are:

• See, Think and Act with a Focus on Family: These educational sessions took place in Melel Xojobal spaces, from February 13 to 12 June. In this project, the children analyzed their current situation with a special focus on their families. These sessions were 13 and had a total of 22 participants. They started on February 14 and ended on March 30.
• Our Face: Carried out at Merposur (Mercado Popular del Sur--Popular Market of the south-) from February to March. These sessions allowed working children to talk, reflect, and recognize their individual and collective identity in order to see themselves as social actors in their environment. These sessions were 22 and had a total of 52 participants.
• Our Space and Its History: Completed in the city center, near the main Cathedral, from February 14 to April 7. In this project, we shared historical elements of our region in order to give the participants information that would help them understand their present situation and to continually identify whether their rights are being respected or not. This project had a total of 107 participants with a total of 18 sessions.
• Education about mass media: Carried out at Merposur from May 4 to July 20th. The purpose of this project was to teach the children how to critically analyze and better judge information coming from mass media (mainly television). Also, the project allowed the children to strengthen their capacities to communicate their perspective on the reality of their rights. This circle had a total of 49 participants in 19 sessions
• Encouraging children to be human rights defenders through political formation: Started at Melel Xojobal in March, we have given 11 sessions to a total of 13participants to date. In these sessions, we teach critical thinking skills so that the children may individually detect human rights violations and take a stance on the issues. Started in 31 March to 23 June.

Besides this completed actions, we have several learning circles ongoing:

• Others form of Reading: developed at Melel Xojobal, this circle seeks to encourage girls and boys to read, through playful activities that arouse their interest in this activity. This program started on August 28, we have given 12 sessions and there have been 16 participants.
• Recognizing Gender Equality: carried out at Mercado de Santo Domingo, these activities are destined to children from 3 to 6 years old. The circle seeks to promote a space for participation where experiences and reflections on the defense of rights are shared, based on gender equity. We have developed 22 sessions till now.  This program started on August 30, and we have given 26 sessions that will finish the last week of November.
• Power relations in my space: as in the previous circle, this space works the defense of rights based on gender equity. Is oriented to children aged 6 and up, and also carried out at Mercado de Santo Domingo. We have now, 22 sessions implemented. This program started on August 30, and we have given 26 that will finish the last week of November.
• Group conformation: After a long period outside this space, contact with Children of the J. C. Tielemans Market was resumed, developing group recognition and strengthening activities. So far 16 sessions were held from august 29 until October 6, with a total of 49 participants.
• Our face: carried out at Mercado Tielemans, these sessions allowed working children to talk, reflect, and recognize their individual and collective identity in order to see themselves as social actors in their environment. The project started on October 11, we have given 11 sessions and there have been 20 participants.