MAKING THE RIGHT TO EDUCATION OF CHILDREN A REALITY

• Partner organizationa ttends 2,375 children in Siuna.
• They carry out the closure of the project with workshops to the served population.

24.11.2014 Managua, Nicaragua. Andrea Núñez-Flores Rey.

2,375 children participated during 2014 with the Institute for Development and Democracy (IPADE) in Siuna, the North Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAN). The partner of Save the Children works with students from kindergarten to last grade of primary and with 61 teachers in 15 schools, seven rural and eight urban through the project "Making the children's rights education in conflict zones a reality”.

According to the project coordinator, Ventura Herrera, "we work all the issues related to childhood: from access to school -through the micro-localization of children who do not attend- , or school retention, encouraging them not to abandon and that their parents support them to continue studying.

But we also work with parents the children care, protection codes ... also train teachers to improve the quality of education."

The coordinator continues explaining that "one of the biggest challenges this year has been to develop reading skills. The children have improved their ability to read and understand. We do not only support reading comprehension in schools, but we have also formed circles of reading for pleasure where children do not have to answer to anyone about what they read: They may be lying, sitting, choose the story they want ... The goal is that they fall in love with reading for pleasure, rather than as an obligation.

Another challenge has been the involvement of fathers and mothers in their kids’ education. Family members are more interested in the education of their children: parents visit the school, ask about the education plans and cooperate with the improvement of school infrastructures, among other issues. "

The municipality of Siuna belongs to the RAAN, an area away from the capital where it remains a challenge to improve the quality of education and good treatment to children. "We have not improved as much as we wanted the good treatment of children. Some parents still punish their children aggressively, although we have seen that this has decreased and they are not so violent; but even so, our goal is to eliminate corporal punishment. "

Reina Gonzalez, a mother who participates with the organization, explains that "we hope that the project is not finished, because parents and children felt very grateful to IPADE and Save the Children. We expect to continue the trainings and the work with our children because they are more motivated, more cheerful and excited. The difference in education has been evident; I think it has been a great achievement and progress."