PROGRAM WORKING WITH THE POPULATION LIVING IN THE STREETS
The problems:
Violation of their rights, drug abuse, everyday violence, begging, adjustment to life on the streets, sense of loss for past life, addictions, dependency, crimes of, sexual violence, prostitution, varying health problems etc.
Objective:
To promote a process of re-structuring and personalization in children, teenagers, young people and families living in street situations in the city of Cochabamba and Quillacollo. Through a motivational and personalised accompaniment from the two projects, we have the target to bring fundamental changes in their lifestyle, strengthening their capacities, skills and abilities and helping them to recover meaning in their lives.
We focus on the situation under the people in the streets live, by offering them different types of activities. Thru these activities we aim at wakening a want to change within the beneficiaries. We can, thereafter, work with this want to change and intent to deepen it until the person itself is convinced to take the decision to leave the streets.
Project Coyera:
This project is the first stage in working with groups who live on the streets. We have a multidisciplinary team working on the streets, using varying motivational strategies, and providing support and guidance on many different themes (health, psychology, social work, spirituality, art, education and work)
We help them become aware of their rights and obligations in the society and raise awareness about basic habits among them. We also offer health support, accompanying to hospitals and health centres, help with the processing of official documents (for example to obtain an identity card or birth certificate), to contact relatives or other people who could be important in the process of changing their way of life, coordination for inter-institutional work to find places in shelters or other reception centres for children and youth or to carry out joint activities.
During the whole process of the work with groups and individuals, we motivate the children and youngsters to reflect on their personal situation and situation on the streets. By doing this we encourage them to see alternatives to their way of life, to rediscover the meaning of their life and thereby, little by little, helping them to regain their self-confidence. All this while taking into consideration that each person is different, as will be the process of change. Under the philosophy that we support (Christian existentialism) we believe in every human being’s resilience and ability to change.