From Barranquilla to Lima in Reducing Child Labor: Lessons in Community Action

! ! From!Barranquilla!to!Lima!in!Reducing!Child!Labor:!Lessons!in! Community!Action! Isidro!Maya=Jariego1!&!Daniel!Holgado,#Laboratory#of#Personal#Networks#and# Communities#(LRPC),#Universidad#de#Sevilla#(Spain)# Kyrah!K.!Brown!&!Jasmine!Douglas,!Editors,#SCRA#Mini#Grant#Team# # The#SCRA#Community#MiniFGrants#was#founded#in#2010#with#the#intention#of# supporting#small,#timeFsensitive#communityFbased#projects#that#are#consistent#with# SCRA’s#mission,#principles#and#goals.#We#are#ecstatic#about#the#great#work#being#done# by#SCRA#members#and#their#community#partners,#and#even#happier#to#be#able#to# highlight#examples#of#this#work#and#share#them#with#the#GJCPP#readership.#Below,# Isidro#MayaFJariego#and#Daniel#Holgado#describe#their#collaborative#work#with# Edúcame#Primero#Colombia,#an#evidenceFbased#child#labor#prevention#program;#and# provide#insight#into#the#impact#that#Community#MiniFGrants#funding#had#on#their#work# in#identifying#lessons#learned#and#best#practices#for#the#replication#of#this#intervention# program#in#Lima,#Peru.## According#to#International#Labour#Organization#(ILO)#168#million#children#work# worldwide,#85#million#of#which#are#engaged#in#hazardous#work.#In#the#past#decade#a#30# per#cent#reduction#of#child#labor#worldwide#has#been#achieved#with#programs#that# promote#universal#access#to#quality#education,#conditional#cash#transfer#and#coalitions# of#social#agents.#The#program#Edúcame#Primero#Colombia#for#prevention#of#child#labor# was#applied#between#2008#and#2010#as#part#of#a#cooperation#for#development#initiative# in#7#departments#of#Colombia,#with#the#participation#of#about#10,000#children.# Thereafter#Universidad#del#Norte#proceeded#to#local#ownership#of#the#program#from# 2011#to#2013:#the#intervention#was#implemented#through#a#network#of#university# students#doing#their#practices#in#33#schools#and#educational#foundations#of# Barranquilla,#Department#of#the#Atlantic.#In#this#piece#we#summarize#the#lessons# learned#by#facilitators#of#the#program#as#well#as#teachers#and#principals#of#the#schools# where#the#program#was#implemented.#We#systematize#the#experiences#in#Colombia#in# order#to#enable#the#transference#of#the#same#intervention#to#Lima#(Peru).#This#work#was# possible#with#the#support#of#a#SCRA#Community#MiniFGrant#that#was#helpful#for# organizing#meetings#with#facilitators,#conducting#interviews#with#teachers#and# principals,#and#elaborating#a#video#with#lessons#learned#in#Colombia,#which#will#be#used# for#launching#the#program#in#Peru#next#year.# Keywords:#SCRA%mini)grants,%Community%Psychology,%Best%Practices,%Community% Readiness,%Child%Labor.% ######################################################## 1#Authors:#Isidro#MayaFJariego#is#a#Full#Professor#at#the#Department#of#Social#Psychology#at#the#University# of# Seville# (Spain)# and# Director# of# the# Laboratory# of# Personal# Networks# and# Communities# (LRPC)# (Corresponding#author#<[email protected]>).#Daniel#Holgado#is#a#postFdoctoral#researcher#at#the#LRPC#of# the#University#of#Seville.# Global#Journal#of#Community#Psychology#Practice# Volume#5,#Issue#2# # December#2014# Global#Journal#of#Community#Psychology#Practice,#http://www.gjcpp.org/## Page#2# # # # # Location#of#the#33#schools#in#Barranquilla#where#Edúcame#Primero#Colombia#was#implemented# # The!experience!of!the!program!Edúcame!Primero!Colombia! Edúcame#Primero#Colombia#is#a#psychoeducational#intervention#with#activities#to# promote#personal#skills#and#free#play#among#participants.#It#has#two#different# components#F‘Spaces#to#Grow’#and#‘Spaces#to#Play’F,#which#aim#to#strengthen#universal# access#to#education#as#an#alternative#to#child#labor.#It#is#therefore#an#effort#to#guarantee# children#time#for#training,#personal#development#and#learning.#Since#2011,#the# University#of#Sevilla#has#contributed#to#the#initiative#through#joint#training#grants#from# the#Office#of#Cooperation#for#Development#as#well#as#postgraduate#scholarships#from# the#Spanish#Agency#for#International#Cooperation#(AECID).#The#Laboratory#of#Personal# Networks#and#Communities#(LRPC)#joined#then#an#international#team#for#the#evaluation# and#improvement#of#the#implementation#of#the#program.# Edúcame#Primero#Colombia#is#an#evidenceFbased#practice,#which#had#proven#effective# in#several#previous#applications#in#six#Central#American#countries:#Costa#Rica,# Dominican#Republic,#El#Salvador,#Guatemala,#Honduras#and#Nicaragua.#The#intervention# consists#of#academic#orientation,#socialization#among#peers#and#personal#development# activities,#which#are#usually#applied#in#academic#institutions#following#the#instructions# of#the#educational#materials#of#the#program.#The#intervention#is#effective#improving# academic#performance#and#reducing#absenteeism#at#school.#There#is#also#evidence#of#an# impact#in#the#number#of#hours#of#child#labor,#as#well#as#the#number#of#children#doing# some#labor#activities.#This#experience#of#collaboration#of#the#Universidad#del#Norte#and# the#University#of#Sevilla#has#contributed#to#the#Latin#American#Network#of#Child#Labour# (LACTI),#and#other#systems#for#exchanging#best#practices,#such#as#the#United#Nations# Development#Programme#(UNDP)#and#the#IVI#in#Spain.# Global#Journal#of#Community#Psychology#Practice# Volume#5,#Issue#2# # December#2014# Global#Journal#of#Community#Psychology#Practice,#http://www.gjcpp.org/## Page#3# # Along#these#years#of#international#cooperation#with#Colombia#we#have#found#that# universal#access#to#quality#education#is#a#central#element#in#the#fight#against#child#labor.# We#are#referring#specifically#to#actions#to#prevent#absenteeism#and#dropout,#as#well#as# to#improve#academic#performance,#ensure#compulsory#education#and#improve#the# educational#system.#In#fact,#the#highest#impact#of#child#labor#in#academic#performance# seems#to#occur#when#the#time#devoted#to#child#labor#competes#with#the#time#devoted#to# school.#That#is#to#say,#both#the#number#of#weekly#hours#spent#at#work,#as#well#as#making# work#activities#coinciding#with#school#hours,#are#the#conditions#that#most#negatively# affect#social#and#educational#development#of#children.# # # Universal#access#to#quality#education#is#central#in#the#fight#against#child#labor# (Foto:#Antonio#Gallardo,#®#LRPC#&#Oficina#de#Cooperación#al#Desarrollo#de#la#Universidad#de#Sevilla)# # Transferring!the!program!from!Colombia!to!Peru! We#are#preparing#the#replication#of#the#program#in#Lima#(Peru),#introducing#some# changes#after#the#experience#in#Colombia.#In#this#context,#the#SCRA#Mini#Grant#was#used# to#organize#two#meetings#with#facilitators,#volunteers,#teachers#and#other#practitioners# both#in#Barranquilla#and#Seville.#Focus#groups#and#interviews#were#carried#out#to# describing#lessons#learned#and#detecting#best#practices#in#the#former#implementation#of# the#program.#Secondly,#this#material#was#used#to#make#a#video#with#recommendations# for#future#implementers#of#the#intervention#in#Peru.# Participants#focused#in#(a)#the#key#role#of#mediators#in#each#school,#(b)#the#diversity#of# community#contexts,#(c)#the#relevance#of#community#readiness#as#well#as#the# engagement#of#the#families,#and#(d)#the#integration#of#the#program#in#the#organizational# context#of#the#school.#We#summarize#these#ideas#below,#which#are#also#summarized#in# the#resulting#video:#http://youtu.be/pfjLRfkEm18# Informal%network%of%facilitators.#A#group#of#psychology#graduate#students#was#selected# to#coordinate#the#activities#in#each#school#participating#in#the#intervention.#Each#student# Global#Journal#of#Community#Psychology#Practice# Volume#5,#Issue#2# # December#2014# Global#Journal#of#Community#Psychology#Practice,#http://www.gjcpp.org/## Page#4# # was#assigned#to#a#particular#school#and#adopted#the#role#of#“facilitator”,#adjusting#the# program#to#the#specifics#of#the#context.#During#implementation#they#negotiated#with#the# principal#and#teachers#of#the#school,#they#were#in#contact#with#the#families#of#children# participating#in#the#program,#and#they#informally#assumed#a#broker#role#between#the# school,#the#families#and#the#neighborhood#community#organizations#where#the# intervention#was#taking#place.#These#activities#were#not#originally#planned#in#the# program,#but#finally#revealed#to#be#essential#for#the#successful#implementation#of#the# program.#Facilitators#assumed#an#unanticipated#role#of#improving#community#fit#of#the# intervention,#adapting#the#program#to#the#diversity#of#community#contexts#and#schools.# Diversity%of%contexts.#Child#labor#takes#different#forms#depending#on#the#social#and# community#context#in#which#it#operates.#In#the#case#of#Colombia,#the#main#predictor#of# child#labor#in#rural#areas#was#suffering#forced#displacement#in#the#last#five#years.# However,#in#urban#areas#child#labor#seems#to#depend#on#the#socioFeducational#profile#of# the#mother,#as#well#as#family#income.#In#suburban#areas,#where#child#labor#is#most# frequently,#political#violence#and#natural#disasters#are#key#factors.#In#cities,#however,# child#labor#is#more#likely#among#children#of#mothers#with#no#education#and#who# worked#when#they#were#a#child.#Therefore#the#intervention#has#to#be#modulated# depending#on#the#specific#community#context#in#which#it#is#performed.# Family%and%community%readiness.#The#most#effective#prevention#strategies#go#through# the#involvement#of#families#and#community.#As#noted,#college#students#who#acted#as# facilitators#of#the#intervention#adapted#the#program#to#the#peculiarities#of#each#context,# and#put#in#place#strategies#to#involve#families.#In#prevention#programs,#facilitators#acted# as#mediators#and#promoted#community#fit.#The#program#worked#better#when#there#was# a#prior#socialization#with#parents.#Linking#families#with#educational#institutions,#as#well# as#overall#good#levels#of#community#organizing#and#participation,#were#key#for# preventing#school#absenteeism#of#the#children.#In#sum,#tailoring#the#intervention#to#the# specific#characteristics#of#each#community#context#improves#outcomes.# Integrating%the%program%in%the%school.#Often#teachers#were#reluctant#to#incorporate# working#children#in#the#school:#they#thought#would#adversely#affect#other#students.#On# the#other#hand,#parents#did#not#see#the#relevance#of#recreational#activities#carried#out#in# the#program.#However,#the#program#improved#motivation#and#educational#achievement# of#children.#Participants#in#the#program#learned#to#take#turns#and#to#talk#to#authority# figures#properly,#and#later#they#reproduced#these#behaviors#in#the#classroom.# Consequently,#the#parents#changed#their#attitude#toward#the#program.#Teachers#also# began#to#incorporate#in#their#classes#the#participatory#methodology#of#the#program.# Overall#the#program#contributed#to#a#positive#school#climate#and#facilitated#the#transfer# of#learning#to#the#context#of#class.#The#fit#of#the#program#to#the#organizational#context# was#crucial.# This#set#of#lessons#learned#has#been#summarized#in#a#video#designed#for#future# implementers#of#the#program#in#Peru.#The#video#highlights#three#main#issues#to#be# discussed#in#the#context#of#training#sessions:#the#adaptation#of#the#program#to#the# diversity#of#contexts,#the#promotion#of#family#involvement#in#the#program,#and#the#key# community#mediation#role#performed#by#facilitators.#Each#idea#is#illustrated#with#input# from#parents,#teachers#and#facilitators,#so#that#can#be#used#in#the#training#of#new# facilitators,#as#well#as#in#the#debate#and#reflection#before#program#implementation.# Global#Journal#of#Community#Psychology#Practice# Volume#5,#Issue#2# # December#2014# Global#Journal#of#Community#Psychology#Practice,#http://www.gjcpp.org/## Page#5# # # MayaFJariego,#I.,#Holgado,#D.,#Palacio,#J.#E.#&#Romero,#P.#(2014).#Edúcame#Primero#Colombia.#Reducing#Child#Labor#in# Barranquilla#[Video#file].#Retrieved#from#http://youtu.be/pfjLRfkEm18# # Communities!against!child!labor! We#anticipate#starting#the#program#implementation#in#Lima#in#2015.#The#process#of# transferring#the#program#to#Peru#is#an#opportunity#to#apply#what#we#have#learned#in# Colombia,#but#it#is#also#a#challenge#in#terms#of#adapting#the#program#to#a#different# institutional#and#community#setting.#This#time#we#intend#to#enhance#the#community# nature#of#the#program,#developing#specific#activities#of#adaptation#to#the#educational# context,#direct#work#with#families#and#community#involvement.## The#extent#of#the#movement#of#working#children#in#Peru,#which#has#been#contrary#to# international#policies#against#child#labor,#requires#the#implementation#of#specific# actions#for#community#readiness.#For#this#we#have#the#baggage#of#the#actions#that,#in# different#Latin#American#countries,#have#improved#the#lives#of#families#and#contributed# to#the#protection#of#children#over#recent#years.# Effective#interventions#against#child#labor#are#usually#intense,#sustained#over#time,#and# have#institutional#support.#They#are#also#comprehensive,#and#promote#simultaneously# compulsory#education,#poverty#reduction#through#redistributive#policies,#changing#the# social#norm#on#the#minimum#age#to#work,#and#the#development#of#new#patterns#of# socialization#in#families.# In#this#new#challenge#in#Peru#we#will#combine#the#implementation#of#former# psychoeducational#activities#of#the#program#with#the#forge#of#coalitions#of#social#agents# and#strategies#for#community#readiness.# Acknowledgments# Funding#for#the#documentary#film#was#provided#by#the#Society#for#Community#Research# and#Action#(SCRA)#MiniFGrants#(http://www.scra27.org/practice),#supporting#the# project:#“Transfer#and#community#fit#of#best#practices#for#reduction#of#child#labor#from# Barranquilla#(Colombia)#to#Lima#(Peru)”.#Society#for#Community#Research#and#Action# (SCRA).#Community#Mini#Grants#(#2014F01).# This#paper#is#partially#based#in:#MayaFJariego,#I.#(2014).#Elementos#centrales#en#la# reducción#del#trabajo#infantil:#acceso#a#una#educación#universal#de#calidad,# Global#Journal#of#Community#Psychology#Practice# Volume#5,#Issue#2# # December#2014# Global#Journal#of#Community#Psychology#Practice,#http://www.gjcpp.org/## Page#6# # transferencia#condicionada#de#efectivos#y#coaliciones#de#agentes#sociales.#Jornada%por%la% erradicación%del%trabajo%infantil.%Por%una%justicia%social%para%una%globalización%equitativa.# Organización#Internacional#del#Trabajo#(OIT),#Agencia#Española#de#Cooperación# Internacional#(AECI)#y#Universidad#de#Sevilla.#17#de#marzo#de#2014.! We#appreciate#the#cooperation#of#Irene#Aceituno#(Universidad#de#Sevilla),#Jorge#Palacio,# Marlis#Cardona,#Yasiri#Pérez,#Vanessa#Romero,#Heloise#Sierra,#Dora#Suárez#and#Lola# Turizo#(University#of#Northern#Colombia)#and#Rosa#Cueto,#Henry#Guillen#and#Miguel# Seminar#(Pontificia#Universidad#Catolica#del#Peru)#in#the#documentation#of#lessons# learned#from#the#project.# BIBLIOGRAPHY!OF!THE!PROJECT!EDÚCAME!PRIMERO!COLOMBIA# Holgado,#D.,#MayaFJariego,#I.#Palacio,#J.,#Ramos,#I.,#OviedoFTrespalacios,#O.#RomeroF Mendoza,#V.#&#Amar,#J.#(2014).#Impact#of#Child#Labour#in#Academic#Performance:# Evidence#from#the#Program#“Edúcame#Primero,#Colombia”.#International%Journal%of% Educational%Development,#34,#58F66.# Holgado,#D.,#MayaFJariego,#I.,#Palacio,#J.#&#OviedoFTrespalacios,#O.#(forthcoming).#Two# profiles#of#child#labor:#relocated#children#to#suburban#areas#compared#to#the#key#role#of# social#and#labor#characteristics#of#mothers#in#urban#settings.#In#Tonón,#G#(Ed.).#Social% Indicators%Research%Series.%New#York:#Springer.# Holgado,#D.,#MayaFJariego,#I.,#Ramos,#I.#&#Palacio,#J.#(2014).#El#papel#de#los#facilitadores# en#la#implementación#de#los#“Espacios#para#Crecer”:#evaluación#formativa#del#programa# con#menores#trabajadores#“Edúcame#Primero,#Colombia”.#Universitas%Psychologica,#13# (4),#15F33.# MayaFJariego,#I.#&#Palacio,#J.#E.#(Eds)#(2012).#Edúcame%Primero%Colombia.%Un%espacio%de% colaboración%entre%la%Universidad%de%Sevilla%y%la%Universidad%del%Norte.#Sevilla:#Oficina#de# Cooperación#al#Desarrollo#de#la#Universidad#de#Sevilla.# MayaFJariego,#I.#&#Palacio,#J.#E.#(2014).#La#red#de#facilitadores#de#los#“Espacios#para# Crecer”#en#Barranquilla#(Colombia).#Estrategias#de#continuidad,#ajuste#comunitario#y# mejora#de#la#implementación#en#los#programas#de#prevención#del#trabajo#infantil.# Journal%de%Ciencias%Sociales%de%la%Universidad%de%Palermo,%2,#61F70.# #