Exploring Connectivity for Street Kids in Latin America

Exploring Connectivity for Street Kids in Latin America For : International Development Research Centre By : José María González B. Consultant Ottawa. Canada October 10, 2000

Summary Exploring Connectivity for Street Kids in Latin America Preliminary Phase Project administered by Program officers Project leader Pilot partner organizations Funding Budget (First phase, preliminary exploration) Duration International Development Research Centre, IDRC PAN Networking Program Initiative Ricardo Gomez (rgomez@idrc.ca) with Renald Lafond (rlafond@idrc.ca) Jose Maria Gonzalez (jmgb@colomsat.net.co) Fundacion Chasquinet, Quito, Ecuador Fundacion Renacer, Bogota, Colombia Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Canada, DFAIT International Development Research Centre of Canada, IDRC DFAIT: CAD 200.000 IDRC: CAD 50.000 Total: CAD 250.000 8 months The Street Children project is about using the Internet to create links between street children and others actors in society in order to help them solve their problems and create opportunities for a better life. These children have been forced to adopt the street life as a way to survive. They share common struggles, including those related to prostitution, theft, drug consumption, and the daily battle to stay alive in the midst of crime and brutalities of every kind. The difficulties they face pose a threat to their lives and threaten the future of society as a whole. The objectives The objectives of the project are: 1. To set up two pilot experiences using Internet resources with street children in Latin America (Ecuador and Colombia); 2. To document the learning processes; and 3. To assess the potential of a larger research and intervention project using Internet with street kids in Latin America. The expected outcome By June 2000: Production of one short video on the actual and potential uses of Internet with street kids; production of Web pages for both foundations; and, production of one brochure illustrating one of the pilot partner organizations and their work with street children using Internet resources. 2

By January 2001: Production of a short documentary on the uses of Internet resources by street kids in Colombia and Ecuador 1 changed to the realization of a workshop in Bogotá; preparation of a descriptive paper analyzing the experiences using Internet resources with street kids in the pilot cases, with additional insights from other experiences in the region; and, preparation of a concept paper for a 3 year plan to expand this initial exploration using Internet resources with street kids to other countries. The results up to October 10: Project was launched by Minister Axworthy on the OAS meeting in Windsor in June 4, 2000. Preparatory work included the elaboration of a 4 minute video, a flyer and a poster. A public presentation was made in Ottawa on June 8 2. Installations of the equipment were successfully accomplished by June in Ecuador (one site) and by August in Colombia (8 sites). A total of 18 new computers were installed and 20 were refurbished and relocated. Training programs were set up and started with the staff (teachers, administrative and therapists) and continued with the street children. An estimate of 120 children have been trained in the basic skills in Colombia and more than 150 street children and youth have had introductory courses in Ecuador. Training of more the 40 staff and teachers has been accomplished in Colombia and 18 in Ecuador. Communications have improved between the street children and other actors inside and outside of the organizations, nationally and internationally. Teachers and therapists have saved time (at least 30 %) in terms of writing of reports and communicating with children and staff. The organization has made significant savings in telephone and mail bills. Parallel processes of communication (establishment of direct relationships) have been occurring. The access to computers and Internet has opened the possibilities to search for answers for the people involved improving the information flow at all levels. Street children, youth and staff people feel highly motivated to use of computers and the navigation through Internet. Income generation opportunities have been identified and involve street children, youth, teachers and staff. Computer literacy provides street children with better job opportunities in their local context. A cultural change is expected when the computers are introduced in the communities involving street children and youth. Mayor change identified is the change from a verbal communication to a written one. Impact on the long run is unknown. This form of communication has partially eliminated time, location and language barriers The use of computers has encouraged them to improve reading, writing and other language skills. Improvements in fine motility can be detected. 1 Expected outcome has changed. See From video to Meeting in the document. 2 See Presentation IDRC (power point document) 3

Risks are present. Pornography, Satanism, unrestricted chat and others are readily accessible to children and youth in the Internet. Awareness on the staff side and a clear understanding of the situation will permit to deliver a structured preventive program for the children and youth. Initial direct observations, together with a systematic and longer follow up on them, will be definitive to obtain a broader base of knowledge to conclude on the lessons learned. The observations have shown that the overall impact on the street children and youth as well as in the organizations involved is very positive. When given a good opportunity to rehabilitate from the street life, street children and youth show that they can become valuable members of a society. Guidelines Four areas have been considered as important to define a 3 to 5 year intervention program relating the connectivity and access to Internet for street children: Context of the intervention, Focus, People and organizations involved and Technology. The context for the intervention has to take into account the location, the unsatisfied basic needs of the population, the free time available of the children at risk, and the weakness of the family structure. The focus of the intervention should be done predominantly on the prevention side. The treatment of affected population should be taken into account. A 70 30 ratio is suggested. Within the project several organizations have been contacted and involved. It is thought that a coalition between these organizations, building upon the strengths of each of them, could have the technical and practical knowledge to move forward into a 3 to 5 year plan. Two main areas should be explored forward from the technology standpoint when thinking of giving access to the population at risk, mainly street children and youth. 1. Computers and software and 2. Connectivity. Computers and software will permanently change. Upgrades should be made possible with the least cost possible. Connectivity in economically depressed places will be a significant issue to address. Next steps of the project The meeting in Bogota will bring about a significant contribution to the project. The main objective will be to take stock of the pilot experiences and analyze other experiences. There will efforts directed towards the definition of the population objective, their needs and expectations. Develop a programmed action towards looking to the strengths and weaknesses of the group and establishing a joint vision and an initial plan for intervention. 4

Mid Project Progress report Exploring Connectivity for Street Kids 3 in Latin America: Preliminary Phase We are exploring risks and opportunities of using information and communication technologies for social development. Exploring these issues with street kids in Latin America is a major challenge; it challenges the way we think about street kids (how can street kids be empowered through the use of computers and the internet) and about the social implications of communication technologies (how can communication technologies be used by some of the most marginalized people in society). With this project we will have a better understanding of the opportunities and risks brought about by new communication technologies to help street kids get off the street and lead a meaningful life as full members of society. (Ricardo Gomez, Senior Program Specialist at IDRC) 1 The Past 1.1 Background The current overall economic and social situation in Latin America has forced many children to adopt the street life in order to survive 4. Prostitution, begging, stealing and drug consumption are among the strategies these children and youth use in their daily lives. These practices, in which more and more people are involved daily, pose enormous risks for current and future generations of children and youth, and indicate a degradation of the social fabric of Latin American societies. 3 Name is under revision. Children and Youth are uncomfortable with it. 4 Source: Lusk, Mark W.: Street Children Programs in Latin America. In: Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, Vol.16, No.1, March 1989. 5

1.2 Objetives The International Development Research Centre and the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Canada, in collaboration with Renacer and Chasquinet, have decided to set up a pilot project using the Internet and involving street children and youth in Colombia and Ecuador. The purpose of the project is to provide street children with the tools for empowerment and informal education. I. To set up two pilot experiences using Internet resources with street children in Latin America (Ecuador, Colombia) to help street kids by providing alternatives and tools for empowerment, informal education, and income generation, and by improving electronic communication and networking between staff and other stakeholders working with street kids in the region II. III. To document the learning processes (production of written and audiovisual materials) To assess the potential of a larger research and intervention project using Internet with street kids in Latin America, exploring potential for expansion in Brazil, Mexico and Central America. 1.3 The expected outcome June 2000 Production of one short video clip (English, French & Spanish; 4 min, copied on CD Rom) on the actual and potential uses of Internet with street kids in Ecuador (and possibly Colombia as well), Production of Web pages for both foundations Production of one brochure illustrating one of the pilot partner organizations and their work with street children using Internet resources January 2001 5 Production of a short documentary (English, French & Spanish, 12 min, copied on CD Rom) on the uses of Internet resources by street kids in Colombia and Ecuador, and if possible, in other countries in Latin America (this was changed in the course of the project to a planning workshop to be held in November with main stakeholders). Preparation of a descriptive paper (20.000 words, in English, French and Spanish) analyzing the experiences using Internet resources with street kids in the pilot cases, with additional insights from other experiences in the region.. Preparation of a concept paper for a 3 year plan to expand this initial exploration using Internet resources with street kids to other countries and with other groups in the region, for consideration for funding by DFAIT, CIDA, IDRC, OAS, UNICEF and others. 5 Expected outcome has changed. See From video to Meeting in the document. 6

2 The Present 2.1 Main actors and their relationships The current analysis is based on the systems analysis approach. The system is defined as the group of actors, leaded by the main actor and supported by the other actors 6 to achieve a common purpose or goal. Three main elements are addressed within the analysis : the context (local, national or international), the actors involved and the existing or potential relationships between the different actors. An initial overview helps to indicate the starting situation. Follow up of the process is made to observe the changes based on the intervention proposed. Fundación Renacer (Colombia) and Fundación Chasquinet (Ecuador), as well as many other institutions throughout Latin America, are playing an active role in providing alternatives that give street children a chance to experience their childhood, and provide youth with an opportunity to build a better life. The institutions have developed programs and support processes that help educate children and youth and re-introduce them into their families or into an economic activity with lower personal risks. To achieve this goal these institutions have built their own network with different actors of society (non governmental organizations, government, academia and economy) in different places, with a different context each and approaching it with a different methodology. Lets explore in further detail each of these two systems. 2.1.1 Fundación Renacer (Colombia) Fundación Renacer is a non-profit organization registered in Colombia. It has been working since 1994 to help street children who are sexually exploited (prostitution, pornography) by providing a temporary home, counseling, education and vocational training (sewing, knitting, printing, cooking and computer use, among other activities). They also support small businesses to help the youth find meaningful employment after rehabilitation. Moreover, they conduct research on sexual exploitation of minors in Colombia. The main office is in Bogotá, with branches in Barranquilla and Cartagena (population destinations for sexual tourism). Renacer develops its activity interacting with several organizations of the different sectors of society as described in figure 1. Renacer has its main economic tie line with ICBF (Instituto Colombiano de Bienestar Familiar), the Colombian Institute for the Welfare of the Family. More than 90 % of its budget comes from the nation subsidies through ICBF. An equivalent of USD 300,000 are allocated annually for the contact, maintenance and rehabilitation of around 350 children and youth. Within this project, the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Canada and the International Development Research Centre have given funds to install the computers in the different sites and provide the training needed (computer and Internet access) for children, youth and staff. 6 Other actors could well be identified as the Frontier Partners mentioned in the Outcome Mapping Evaluation methodology. 7

DFAIT Canadian Embassy UK Embassy Government Civil Society Network of Institutions for the Protection of Youth ICBF First Lady s Office IDRC Academia Godmother / Godfather program Renacer Surrounding community National International Children and youth in/of the Streets Bill Nixon Security American Airlines Catelaire British Petroleum Economy Figure 1. The system Renacer The purpose of Renacer makes the children and youth in/of the streets the most important group of actors. It is from this interaction and research, where Renacer can understand the dynamics and feelings of the street children and youth, and intervene accordingly. The philosophy of Renacer dictates that the enrollment process is a voluntary process. Furthermore, the enrolled children and youth are free to abandon the program any time (five level rehabilitation processes). The local community has played an important role in the activities held by Renacer. From being supportive of the action in some cases, to impede the development of their activities through sabotage and frightening of the children. Renacer has established links with the network of institutions for the Protection of Youth and has provided leadership and advise. The need for caring plays an important role in the children and youth rehabilitation process. Renacer has opened the doors to other people to help. The godmother/godfather sponsoring program has played an important role to give direction both to the kids and to the institution. Renacer has maintained contacts with foreign delegations such as the Canadian and United Kingdom embassies. These have supported the activities and projects since the start up of the institution. IDRC and DFAIT have been involved within the scope of this exploration project. As part of the rehabilitation programs, Renacer has made contact with local and international companies. Catelaire, BP Exploration and American Airlines, apart from others, have opened positions for the youth both as temporary practitioners and as permanent employees. Before going back to a normal life, youth are encouraged to look for a job that will permit them an independent life. 8

Specific maps have not been made for the other locations (two locations in Cartagena and two in Barranquilla). Each one has it own dynamics and frontier partners, as well as constraints and opportunities. The description presented here pretends to introduce a method of analysis that could well be adopted to look into the other four situations. 2.1.2 Fundación Chasquinet (Ecuador) Fundación Chasquinet is a non-profit organization registered in Quito (Ecuador) and working with grassroots organizations and other non-governmental organizations in the country and the region to make better use of communication resources, particularly the Internet. Chasquinet is currently working with street kids in Esmeraldas, on the northwestern tip of Ecuador. In collaboration with a local organization (CEFODI, Corporacion Esmeraldeña para la Formación y el Desarrollo Integral), Chasquinet set up a telecentre (a public access centre for Internet resources) at a school in Esmeraldas (Escuela 10 de Agosto). The telecentre served the school population during regular hours and the local community including the parents of the school children. During the rest of the day and in the evenings, it was open to the public. As an unexpected result, street kids started to adopt the telecentre as a place to hang out and where they could get information and play games. Chasquinet and CEFODI sought to partner with another local organization working with street kids, Proyecto Salesiano Chicos de la Calle. The result was a new telecentre, located at the Salesianos site, giving access to the street children and to the school population during the day hours. The equipment and training support for this telecentre is part of the current project and has been funded by the Canadian Government (IDRC and DFAIT). Civil Society Belgian Government (Ve-co) Cefodi DFAIT Escuela 10 de Agosto Telecentre Andinatel Government IDRC Telecentro Esmeraldas Proyecto Salesiano Chicos de la Calle Padres Salesianos Chasquinet Local community Universidad Católica National Academia International School Children Children and youth in/of the Streets Free Zone Economy Figure 1. The system Chasquinet 9

The limited hours of service for the street children (specially after normal school hours) has required to move the current set up to an independent installation of the Salesianos site. The center is now operating (change was made in September) in a new location where the street and school children have access and as well as other people from the local community. The use of the center will determine the hours of attention. The installation of the Chicos de la Calle project at the Salesianos site will continue to operate with other computers that will be brought from another donation (October). Students from the Universidad Catolica have gotten involved in the project by designing software to collect information for record keeping purposes and for the evaluation of the use of the telecentre. The private sector, through the Free Zone (Esmeraldas is an important seaport of Ecuador), the Universidad Católica, Cefodi and Chasquinet have established a partnership (Esmenet) to explore the possibilities of providing connectivity to the city of Esmeraldas. Currently Andinatel, state monopoly, is the unique provider with an inefficient service. 2.1.3 Other actors identified Based on the general objective pursued by the project, other actors have been identified which would bring interesting experiences and knowledge to better define a three to five year intervention project in Latin America and the Caribbean. Street Kids International (Canada) Street Kids International (SKI) was founded in Canada in 1988 as a voluntary response to the worldwide phenomenon of children and youth living and working on the streets. Today SKI works in association with a variety of street-serving agencies in developing countries, primarily in the training of street workers and the development of programs that address the economic needs of street children and youth. Like many non-profit organizations concerned with highly disadvantaged children, SKI was founded by individuals who felt that not enough was being done to genuinely help street kids. SKI's founders perceived that institutions of both the state and the market have failed to offer useful responses, largely because they tend conceive of street kids as problems (eg. to business owners and authorities in education, public health, and law) rather than as persons. SKI's founders felt that individuals' natural concern for children needed to be mobilized to enable direct and appropriate responses. Above all, they held that the only efforts worth mounting would attend centrally to the needs and aspirations of street kids as people. Frontier College (Canada) Frontier College is a Canada-wide, volunteer-based literacy organization. 10

We teach people to read and write and we nurture an environment favorable to lifelong learning. Since 1899, we have been reaching out to people wherever they are responding to their particular learning needs. We believe literacy is a right and we work to achieve literacy for all. Beat the street is a program for homeless youth in downtown Toronto. It is the only literacy program in the city that focuses specially on street youth. Crecefor (Latin America) Crecefor, (Colectivo Regional de Centros de Formación de Educadores) is a Latin American collective of training centers for educators. It has been conceived as regional articulation mechanism for the training centers of educators of children, youth and adolescents of popular sectors to work without distinction of religious beliefs, race, ideologies or political affiliation; it is open to cooperation with governmental and non governmental institutions who share the mission and objectives of the collective. Its overall goal is to achieve the political, social, economic and cultural transformation of the region based on the common beliefs of the collective, recognizing the identity, autonomy and dynamics of the each of the members. Other contacts (possible actors) A number of persons, institutions and networks have been identified. Not all the identified have been described here 7. Committee for the Democratization of Information technology Robert Baggio, director rodrigob@cdi.org.br Brazil http://www.cdi.org.br The Committee to Democratize Information Technology (CDI) is a non-governmental, non-profit organization that promotes educational and vocational training programs (Computer Science and Citizenship Schools). Its mission is to reintegrate the members of the poor communities, principally children and young people, and alleviate the social exclusion they are subjected to in Brazil and throughout the world. In addition to developing pioneer work in bringing information technology to the underpriviliged populations, CDI promotes citizenship, literacy, ecology, health, human rights and nonviolence, through information technology. Tradeworks. Bob Gilson, Director rgilson@tradeworks.bc.ca Vancouver, Canada www.tradeworks.bc.ca They provide vocational training for street youth in the Vancouver and Toronto areas, and have set up training on computer maintenance and refurbishing, to make use of donated computers from industry for social programs. 7 An initial search in the Internet based involving keywords such as - street children, street youth resulted in over half a million hits. Actors were defined according to the knowledge and contacts of the people involved in the project. 11

International Society for Third Sector Research ISTR Sam Lanfranco <lanfran@yorku.ca>. Canada People that have worked in Latin America promoting cybertechnologies. Organization of American States Heidi Rauch <hrauch@oas.org> Funder for projects involving connectivity and population at risk 8. Washington, USA Instituto Colombiano de Bienestar Familiar Juan Manuel Urrutia, Director Colombia The institute provides guidance for policy issues dealing with children and the family in Colombia. Provides support, advise and funds for the projects dealing with children and youth at risk. Asociación Cristiana de Jóvenes Gladys de Rojas Executive Director Colombia (present in other countries). Long term experience dealing with street children and youth in many countries in Latin America. Ministerio de Educación Nacional of Colombia Javier Torres Advisor to the Minister Colombia The Ministry is setting up a connectivity project through out the country. Casa Alianza - Covenant house (Mexico), Fundacion Paniamor (Costa Rica). <STREETKIDS@egroups.com> mailing list in the internet on street children. (Poland). 2.2 The installation Both institutions have succeeded in the establishment of the computing facilities, overcoming inexperience, technical drawbacks and adverse ambient conditions (see annex G for pictures). Chasquinet, based on its previous computer installation experience, advanced promptly in the set up. It was successfully started in June at the Salesianos School site in Esmeraldas. The location has been changed now and will be up and running during the month of October. Renacer-Bogota (3 sites) were successfully set by the end of July. Turbaco-Cartagena (2 sites) and Barranquilla(2 sites) were installed and completed during July and August. Renacer is new to this whole process so it has taken more time than they expected. Changes in the quality and peaks in the electrical flow, both in Colombia and Ecuador, have affected negatively the performance and duration of the computers. Two computers 8 Project is being set. Information was requested but no draft of proposal was obtained until now. 12

were affected and were refurbished. Peak protection was established from the start but was insufficient. Alternatives are being explored to assure the protection of the equipment. Dust and humidity are negative factors that will be affecting the current equipment during their lifetime. The coastal locations (Esmeraldas, Cartagena and Barranquilla) have high air humidity and salt content. Both in Cartagena and Barranquilla, full air conditioning rooms were set up to overcome the problem. In the Esmeraldas Chicos de la Calle site, an open classroom is preferred. The new site in Esmeraldas will have air conditioning installations. Dust is a major concern as well. It has severely accumulated in the fan and in the internal electronic boards (Esmeraldas). According to the technical people, computers in this condition will be ruined in less than a year. Renacer has not mentioned difficulties in this area. Alternatives, such as, fan filters or totally enclosed computers are being explored. The following table summarizes the final installations. Location Renacer Chasquinet New Rebuild New Rebuild Esmeraldas 5 9 Bogotá Permanent home - Girls 5 2 Bogotá Drop in 1 6 Bogotá Offices 1 Barranquilla Permanent home 2 4 Barranquilla Drop in 1 1 Cartagena -Turbaco Permanent home 2 4 Cartagena Drop in 1 3 TOTAL 13 20 5 The inventory of the installation in Esmeraldas can be found in http://www.chasquinet.org/ninosdelacalle/e-result_ta1.html. The final inventory of the installation of Renacer is being elaborated and will be reported by them. 2.3 The training process The children and youth have gone through a training process starting with the basic specification of the components of the computer, the introduction of operational system, word processing, calculation spreadsheet, and presentation and drawing programs. Bogotá The program in Bogotá started with an evaluation of the abilities to recognize the parts of the computer. An evaluation was made and can be found in the annex A. It is important to note that none of the children new about the Internet. Martin Hingis visited Renacer in August. Kelly, one of the girls of the 9 http://www.chasquinet.org/ninosdelacalle/e-result_ta1.html 13

permanent home, showed the children, staff and Martina an investigation made about her life using the Internet. Potential users in Bogotá account for 202 children and youth. 57 are permanent to the program in levels 1 to 5. 37 are in levels 3 to 5 and have started the computer programs. Levels 1 and 2 will follow in a few weeks. Drop in kids will have a chance later in the program. Barranquilla The children in Barranquilla had worked with computers for almost a year, therefore the training was directed towards the use of the Internet and peripherals. Stella Cárdenas, director of Renacer mentioned : we saw one of the pupils use the scanner to do his homework in an improper way but using what he had at hand. He scanned some images, changed the headings and presented it as his work. We took advantage of the situation to talk about copying and of not recognizing other authors. Renacer attends 70 kids between permanent and at the drop in location. The permanent children and youth already had the training in computers. Introductory workshops have been started with drop in kids too. Educators and administration are participating in the training as well. Cartagena Computers were something new to most of the children in Cartagena both in Turbaco (residence) as in the drop in. The program was run from the start, identifying the parts of the computer and heading towards operational system and programs. Within the godmother/godfather programs Sol Helena, a child asked her Canadian godmother, Rene, visiting her : what is your e-mail? do you have a video camera? perhaps we would be able to talk and see each other in real time soon Program is attending 70 kids today. Priority for computer training has been given to the permanent kids and staff of educators and administration. Esmeraldas The work with the children is proceeding in an organized way. 20 hours of formal training and 26 hours open access to street children and educators per week. C. Juan (10 years) I like playing on the computer so much! I never thought that I would have this opportunity. Now I want to study programming and make my own programs and games. The telecenter has helped me a lot and more than anything, I am in contact with some friends in New York (Miguel and Juan). I only know them through the Internet. They are from Ecuador and we talk about which [web] sites have the best games. I am making a library 14

for my friends here in Esmeraldas. Before, we didn t have any computers and now, I only think about passing the whole day here. (Juan, 10 years) The training of the telecentre staff, co-workers and educators is undertaken on a regular basis. (4 courses in four months so far) Chasquinet and CEFODI provide a continuous support service (including technical support) at the telecentre. Regular weekly courses for 50 Street Children and 18 educators (Typical 2-3 hours per week, per person). 350 children and 50 educators are on a waiting list for formal courses. These cannot be served at the moment due to lack of space, time, staff and equipment. Informal users, children of other Niños de la Calle sections, on a drop in basis: 150 2.4 The Budget The adjusted initial budget is shown in the Annex E. The two foundations with their final reports will give updated information of there expenditures. 2.5 The outcome The following are the initial observations made upon which some lessons may be learned as the project goes into the next months. A systematic and longer follow up of the different observations is definite to obtain a broader base to conclude on such lessons. These observations are based on the direct contacts with the people in the different sites both in Colombia and Ecuador. Meetings were held with the children and youth, conversations with the educators, therapists and staff people as well as open discussions held with all of them. The meetings with the directors were taken into account too. Information was collected from other local experiences with similar situations 10. Numeric data to support these observations is not yet available. 2.5.1 Observations and primer on the lessons learned Communications All levels of communication have been enabled between children, youth, therapists, directors, researchers and godmother/godfather nationally and internationally. Communication through the Internet does not have any frontiers neither constraints in time, location or accessibility to people. 10 Julián Casasbuenas. Colnodo. Unidades de Información Barrial en Bogota. 15

The people directly involved in the project have received communications from the street children. Some e-mails to thank what has been done others to request help for a friend or to look for information. See annex B. Staff people from different locations are able to communicate directly. Once dominated by the telephone, fax or by written letters, Internet communication has accelerated the interaction between people. Communications have evolved from the formal letter to less formal or personal exchanges. Significant savings have been detected in telephone bills and mail services at Renacer. Parallel processes of communication (direct relationships) are occurring. At the telecentre, when waiting for a free computer or just hanging out, children, youth and all the other actors involved are rediscovering the communication processes in a community. It is a meeting place for them and a place to share beyond the struggle and competition of the streets. Information The access to computers and Internet has opened the possibilities to search for answers for the people involved (children, youth and staff; families of them in some situations). Has opened the doors for acquiring knowledge and search for opportunities as well as for downloading games, music and exchange of experiences with local and global users. Street children or children at risk have limited access to information through public or private (school) libraries. The telecentre becomes the library. They can search for the information and get immediate and fairly good responses to their questions. Images, text and sometimes video can be found, and put together through the word processing or presentation programs to do, for example, their homework. These tools provide a significant improvement and a positive differentiation when compared to the current standards predominating in the schools they attend. Using these resources (computers and Internet) street children may get ahead of the children that attend the local public and private schools (I almost sure they will!). The later have to rely on their own libraries for their research or very limited access to Internet at the locations this program is running. These libraries are limited and sometimes outdated due to budget constraints; slow compared to a search over the Internet; expensive when you have to photocopy articles, and sometimes not easy to access because children would have to go to where the library is located accompanied by an adult. Motivation The overall perception of the people involved is that access to computers and Internet are a highly motivating activity for children and youth that have had contact with the streets. Internet and the computers respond to some of the unmet needs of this population. 16

These tools enhance the possibility of being creative (e.g. using painting software, making and altering photographs, all new to them), they are able to play or create or imagine new situations, or explore based on the curiosity and willingness to learn. The access and use creates a different standard between the children that have it and those who do not. The access time and schedule is their limitation not their enthusiasm to use it. Children s self esteem is strengthened based on the recognition that peers and family members make of their advances in this new technology. It acts as catalyst of some internal processes (to early to specify) that makes them keep advancing within their rehabilitation process. Motivation has passed on to other family members. Indications show that both in the children s and staff member families these computer and Internet skills are welcomed and supported. Both because they see possibilities for their individual advancement as well as a desire that there children may have a better future. Staff people see an immense potential for their academic and therapeutic activity. In the short time with access to the internet, these persons have made contacts with other people sharing the same concerns or working in the same area of expertise around the world. Income generation A complete exercise on the break down in costs can be found in the work done by K. Stoll (Fundación Chasquinet) in the web page: http://www.chasquinet.org/ninosdelacalle/e-result_ta1.html. He has examined the different costs in a scenario where computer time and connectivity are the main income to the center. A number of ideas have been detected both as an activity of a telecentre to look for its self sustainability 9, as well as individual activities for those who may have an entrepreneurial thrust and have access to the center. Four main directions can be observed: 1. Services based on the potentialities of the center and its location. access to a computer scanning access to internet paid training courses digital photography and others. These services have been thought as possible income to the telecentre. The street children would be operators of the center and would be responsible for setting up and giving the courses. 2. Services coming from the users of the telecentre. These users may be the street children itself or people from the community. Some few examples of what is happening now are : people doing word processing work for others, 17

collection and organization of local information with the possibility of selling such information to the local people (directory), develop and print menus for local restaurants People have mentioned (as ideas) other services such as money transfer from other countries at a lower cost than bank system, accounting, bookkeeping and other record keeping operations. All these are based on the outsourcing of services to the local community. Important note: A close observation of the activities developed by the street children is a must. Concern has been expressed by DFAIT and IDRC upon the usage of the equipment donated in activities that may infringe on copyright laws, as it has been mentioned that street children have been downloading, reproducing and selling music. Clarification and correction of this issue has been requested. 3. The teachers in the Esmeraldas Telecentre mentioned the possibility of doing joint work between them and the telecentre itself. They have the knowledge on the educational content and the telecentre has the machines. They are thinking in developing content for the courses of the school. 4. Youth that have gone through the computer training process had a better opportunity to get an employment. Computer literacy proved beneficial when the youth looked for jobs. A note should be made that these youth have gone through a rehabilitation process in which the computer training is part off. Cultural change Both Colombia and Ecuador have been traditionally a culture in which people communicate verbally. Word of mouth has been the way to spread the news or the way much of the knowledge is transferred from generation to generation. Reading and writing is something very few people do and inexistent in many sectors of the population. The communication through the electronic mail has demanded from the children and youth in the project, to read and write. They have been confronted with reading a message, writing the response and reading back again what they have written over and over again. A feedback process for their own way of thinking. They have been forced to express themselves in a written way and many times in a very short form. Sometimes they have found that they can communicate more easily with the educators and therapists through the e-mail than directly or by phone. This situation changes the dynamics of the established communication process, one of the bases of the local culture. The impact is uncertain and should be a reason for further research. Some questions arise from the change in the communication channel. How will the therapeutic process be affected in the case of Renacer having in mind that the close contact with the children is important for their rehabilitation process? The communication through the electronic mail will improve the overall interaction with the people around? Will permit a better flow of the information in these communities based on the word of mouth exchange? 18

Literacy (writing) Writing skills and quality of written texts have improved. Based on the need to write to communicate through the internet, children, youth and staff have been forced to produce written documents. This has helped to improve writing skills. Word processing programs have shown the way to improve the way to write by showing immediately the spelling and grammar errors. This has contributed to improve the overall quality of their homework and of the communications between youth, teachers and staff. Language barrier and opportunity Spanish is the native language of the children, youth and staff involved. Though Spanish is a very important language in the Internet, the majority of the web sites are in English. This has motivated some of them to start learning English. Street children have been seen using games with instructions in English. Motility Both children and staff have benefited from exercising with there hands. Where fine motility has been a problem, both the use of the mouse and keyboard have been instrumental to improve this physical inability. Efficiency Staff people at Renacer have saved at least 30 % of their time using the computer to make their reports. They retrieve the periodical information they been storing to produce said documents. Moreover now they are starting to have access to the treatment history of each of the children and youth based on a centralized data base they are building. 2.5.2 Risks Chat rooms (not suitable for these children and youth), pornography and Satanism, apart from other themes have been identified as potential risks for these vulnerable individuals. Bring awareness to the staff people, establish directed research program (considering magnitude and possible impact) on each of the themes considered as a priority, is one action that has been identified. This will permit an understanding of each situation and theme (eg. Pornography), establish a directed action towards it, provide advise to the children and youth and the possibility to redirect the children or youth interests to themes they can build on to for their future. From the technical side, used or refurbished computers have been offered as a donation by several institutions to the people or institutions involved in the project to extend the services. A careful analysis of the positive and negative aspects, prior to the acceptance of such donations, has been suggested during the revision of the project 11. 11 Project review of October 10, 2000. IDRC, Ottawa. 19

2.6 Change in the Expected Outcome of the project: Video vs. Workshop Confronted with the need to explore possibilities for a 3 to 5 year intervention, the consultant sought to be more helpful getting the main actors involved together in a workshop to define the guidelines, than documenting process through a video. The arguments exposed were: A plan for a future intervention should be done with the direct help from the actors involved. The experience of the main actors could be enhanced by the involvement of people and experts with different points of view. A coherent plan could be achieved if we brought together the people, looked into the differences in perception and developed a joint vision, instead of making a document and building on it. The elaboration of a video would serve to document the experience but it would not build a team to promote and implement said plan. The possibility was explored with the direction of project and was approved. The consultant elaborated an agenda and a list of persons to be invited (See Annex D). Bogotá was defined as the meeting place and initial accommodation arrangements were made. The date defined was 15 to 17 of November. The agenda was sent out for review of the different parties. Contacts were made with Gilbert Brenson, an expert facilitator for the meeting. Agenda was reviewed with him to assure compatibility with the methodology and the expected outcome. Changes were made accordingly to reach an agreement. Preparation of the following questions has been suggested prior to the start of the meeting: (the answers do not have to be sent prior to the meeting). Describe in 50 words or less your activities with street children and youth. What are the main resources and strengths that my organization can provide to the project and to the partner organizations? What are the internal limitations that the organization has and would search for a joint program with the partner organizations? With your organization team imagine year 2005. The project has been a complete success. Describe in detail what you see that indicates that the project has been a success. Imagine and draw the vision of the project. 20

3 Initial guidelines for a Future Intervention Four areas have been considered as important to define a 3 to 5 year intervention program relating the connectivity and access to Internet for street children. 1. Context of the intervention 2. People and organizations involved 3. Technology 4. Focus Lets look at each of the areas in certain detail. 3.1 Context for the intervention The current situation in both countries, Colombia and Ecuador offer a similar overall perspective with child and youth population at risk and the community that surrounds it. Four relevant factors have been detected within the society and the specific population that is being addressed. These will have to be taken into consideration in the design of a 3 to 5 year plan. It is common to find children with a significant amount of free time wondering in the streets or not having any activity that will motivate them to stay in the house. The current educational system provides 5 to 7 hours of formal training. Extra hour activities in the schools are limited to some and should be paid for, or else the school may be used for a second period to increase the number of children attending school. This means that on the average, children and youth, may be out in the streets for at least 3 to 5 hours a day Unsatisfied basic needs is a common event in most of the communities where children at risk live. Families cannot live on a single income so both parents have to work. In some cases the minimum to live is not achieved (extreme poverty). This condition generates pressure from the parents on the children to look out for a job or to work on the streets leaving them out of the school. Public services (eg. energy, communications) and health care are low in quality and not accessible to all the population. The family structure is weak and has been strongly undermined in the past decade. The education on principles and values (mainly by example), has been relegated to a second priority. The difficult economic situation has given priority to the survival of each day in the best way they can. Last but no least, the location or place where these people live is a main factor. With the assumption that the intervention (access point or telecentre) should be set in the locality, care should be taken to assure a safe and clean place, preferably neutral (no gang dominated where possible) or where it could be open for all the people. Initial contacts dictate that the local school is probably the first option. If we imagine a child or youngster living through this situation (or worse) permanently, and immersed in a society that stimulates consumption through the media (TV, magazines, newspapers) as well as through the people around (when working in the rich side of town), a need to have is generated. The overall situation makes him a fertile ground for the need to generate income through any kind of activity to prosper. The 21

alternatives that are offered to satisfy these needs involve high-risk activities such as drug dealing, prostitution, or stealing. An intervention having to do with the free time of the children and youth should be further explored. Computers and Internet could be an innovative approach to engage children and youth in extra curricular activities involving games, learning of computer skills, and exploration of the local community (information collection and dissemination) apart from many other opportunities that have been identified previously. Guided projects in this direction should render a better use of the free time of the children and youth and should give better opportunities for their development. This would configure part of a preventive program to encourage the children and youth not to go to the streets. 3.2 Focus In the context it has been mentioned the need for a preventive approach. An intervention in the schools is thought to be more cost/effective for the whole of society than having to rehabilitate street children and youth. An initial directive for the focus of the project (intensity in the use of the resources) could be to consider at least 70% of the resources to the area of prevention and leave 30 % for the rehabilitation programs. A further exploration into the costs / benefits of the preventive program as well as the indicators that could show progress, should be made. 3.3 People & Organizations involved Within the project several organizations have been contacted and involved. It is thought that a coalition between these organizations, building upon the strengths of each of them, could have the technical and practical knowledge to move forward into a 3 to 5 year plan. This exploration should be articulated and defined (most probably with a memorandum of understanding) within the meeting of Bogota in November. The following description focuses on the main strength identified of each of the actors involved in the first stage of the project. A brief description of each was made when the actors were presented (see The System maps and actors). Insight into the activities and strengths of the different actors has been proposed as part of workshop to be held in Bogota in November. Renacer (CO) Cefodi (EC) Organization Los padres Salesianos (EC) Frontier College (CA) Crecefor as representative of local organizations in Latin America and Caribbean Major contribution to the team Organizations involved directly with the street children and youth in Colombia and Ecuador. Rehabilitation programs are in place and proven. Organizations have knowledge and experience in preventive programs. Outside perspective and direct experience with street children in Canada. Network of organizations training trainers in the areas dealing with populations at risk. 22