Cuéntamelo Todo Quito & Cuéntamelo Todo Ibarra: now Fe y Alegría projects!

Between October and December 2012, DS&H handed over its two projects, Cuéntamelo Todo Quito and Cuéntamelo Todo Ibarra, to Fe y Alegría (FyA), its project partner and second Education provider in Ecuador.

Part of a 3 year-agreement, the two street projects set up and executed by DS&H with the support of FyA, since May 2009 in Quito’s old town and October 2011 in Alpachaca, a disadvantaged suburb of Ibarra, have now come under FyA’s leadership. The positive and trusting relationship that grew over the 4-year partnership since the initial design of the “Cuéntamelo Todo" concept has laid the seedbed for a smooth and seamless project transition end of 2012.

Fe y Alegría, a forerunner of Popular Education offers an inclusive and comprehensive approach to Education across Latin America. In Ecuador, beyond collaborating with the government to bring education to the poorest and furthest communities, it also counts under its umbrella informal education centres, provides education for disabled children, trains youth as well as runs centres aimed at fostering education through sports. Cuéntamelo Todo Ibarra (CTI) and Cuéntamelo Todo Quito (CTQ) join this array of educational offers as FyA’s first two "alternative street education units” bringing its centres to a total of 77 in Ecuador.

Sitting under Fe y Alegria’s National Pastoral Department, which heads up most of its social endeavours, CTQ & CTI naturally fit into its mission, vision as well as aspiration to build closer ties with local communities, particularly children and adolescents at risk, and, as and where possible, their family members.

Working from the street with incredibly dedicated & motivated teams, CTQ & CTI offer a tailored range of recreational activities set in a rights-based approach resorting -thanks to a long-standing collaboration with the Belgian organisation Mobile School- to a Mobile School and an ambulant Book Bank. Beyond providing a space for game and trust, this approach seeks to leverage kids‘creativity and build on their self-esteem for them to become better informed and active agents of social change.

 

 CTQ  - A brief update 

CTQ 's first day on the 24 de Mayo, Historic Centre, Quito



On October 17th 2012, and to celebrate Fe y Alegría’s 48th anniversary, CTQ moved from the famously touristic Plaza San Francisco (where it had been operating since 2009) to set up tent in the recently renovated and underprivileged area of Quito’s old town, the 24 de Mayo.

CTQ is now directly led by FyA’s students, many of which have been involved with CTQ since the project was launched. In fact, over 40 FyA students have collaborated voluntarily throughout the years, putting in practice the vision of positive social change their Youth Leadership Movement, CEFA (campamientos estudiantiles), strives towards.

The project is coordinated by FyA’s Regional Pastoral Head Maria Teresa, and operates 3 afternoons a week thanks to the hands-on street leadership of Maritza, former FyA student and CEFA leader. CTQ seeks to welcome local children whose parents work nearby, who may themselves work and/or who live in the local underserved, and dangerous, neighbourhoods of the area.

A group of 4-6 Pedagogy and Psychology students from the Universidad Politécnica Salesiana (UPS) participate in each session and provide continuous expert support to both the team and kids. Keen to contribute to a socially inclusive local “renovation” of the area, FyA is also liaising with local players to build partnerships for a sustainable offer and is currently collaborating closely with a group of artists which aims to promote local youth community life through art.

 

CTI - A brief update

CTI continues to operate 3 times a week from Alpachaca’s central park; it is now coordinated by FyA’s North Regional Office Head, Lucas, and benefits from the close collaboration of Ibarra’s local Municipality. A recent expression of this partnership has been the recent secondment of one of its employees to support in the delivery of the street sessions.

CTI is now led by two Street Educators, Cinthya who has been running the educational side of the sessions since its launch in October 2011 and Carla, who is familiar with the project as she heads up Alpachaca’s Cultural Centre and has recently joined the team replacing Fernando, our former social worker.

Both from Alpachaca, Cinthya & Carla are backed by a group of students in Psychology and Pedagogy from the local Universidad Técnica del Norte (UTN) and together, they continue to provide recreational activities to the local kids fostering awareness of their rights, generating interest in reading, along with working increasingly closely with parents and local community members, now well-known to them, to strengthen community ties.

At FyA’s request, a survey has recently been carried out by a group of UTN’s Social Department graduates across Alpachaca to find out more about local perceptions of the project as well as needs and interests, especially across the youth population- particularly exposed to the high rates of violence, deviance, drug-trafficking and prone to the increasing gang phenomena.


These findings will help FyA adjust its offer to best respond to local necessities and work collaboratively with the Municipality to carry on strengthening community ties and fostering the work it has been building in contributing to positive social change and the prevention of violence.

A dedicated CTQ & CTI page on Fe y Alegría’s website is currently underway and will be communicated as soon as “on air”!