Prevention and Reduction of Child Labor in the City of Quetzaltenango, Guatemala is a project whose goal is to prevent and reduce child labor in the city of Quetzaltenango by means of broader coverage and improved access to and quality of formal and non-formal educational systems, mobilization of child and adolescent laborers, and awareness raising. The project will directly benefit a total of 300 children (55% girls and 45% boys) with access to formal public-school education (primary school), with classes to prepare children at a level corresponding to their grade with vocational training. There are two distinct target groups: the first one is children between ages 7 and 14 and the other between ages 14-17. Additionally, CEIPA will engage children and adolescents to actively participate in the promotion of their rights in the effort to prevent and reduce child labor, to foster democratic participation, and work closely with national and local authorities, community members, families and media to raise awareness. CEIPA will work with families to increase the relevance of education so that parents agree to enroll children in school. The organization will monitor the attendance and performance of children in school together with parents as to avoid dropouts and increase persistence. Furthermore, for children who are behind in their grade level who do not meet the school’s requirements, CEIPA will design an educational needs assessment to identify alternative educational systems where children can be prepared to later move into the formal educational system. For children between 14-17, CEIPA will provide course material needed and orientation and academic reinforcement for children to enroll and attend official vocational training programs. Academic reinforcement will be a cross-cutting activity for all children as beneficiaries of the project.
Level of Education: Preschool, School
Lead Organisation: Centro Ecuménico de Integración Pastoral (CEIPA)
