PROBLEM DESCRIPTION:
Guatemala is a country where in 1960-1996 there was a civil war, during which over 200,000 people, mainly civilians, were killed or disappeared. Its consequences are very severe to this day, and Guatemala struggles with many social problems. It is estimated that 56% of the country's population lives below the poverty threshold, and 23% of the population – in extreme poverty. Poverty carries particularly dangerous consequences in children's life. These include health problems, malnutrition, or dropping out of school so as to earn money. According to the World Bank, Guatemala has the sixth highest chronic malnutrition indicator in the world and the highest in Latin America and the Caribbean. Chronic malnutrition in childhood (and growth retardation) affects 47% of all children under the age of five, 58% of children of the indigenous population, and 66% of children from the low-income families.
In addition, many children and teenagers have limited access to education, and over 1.6 million young people between the age of 15 to 24 do not attend school and do not have basic professional skills necessary to enter the labour market. Children and adolescents dropping out of school often join local gangs and earn a living through drug trafficking.
Crime and violence occur in Guatemala on a large scale, and they largely affect girls and women. Guatemala is one of the countries with the highest rate of femicide and cases of violence against women in the world. It is largely associated with a very strongly rooted macho culture, which is one of the largest challenges for Guatemalan women. Sexual violence also results in a large scale of teenage pregnancies. Teens are an attractive prey for gangs and rapists, and the percentage of pregnant girls aged 10-14 constitutes the largest in Latin America.
ORGANISATION:
Providing comprehensive assistance to children and adolescents, the El Patojismo organisation operates in the region of Jocotenango in Guatemala. It runs a fully equipped educational centre, which provides not only access to education, but also to over 600 meals a day. It also offers musical, artistic, theatrical, sports, and IT activities. At the same time, El Patojismo enables its pupils to attend workshops and vocational training to increase their chances of finding a job in the future. In addition, the organisation runs a medical clinic, which offers medical aid to 1,500 people each year.
The founder of El Patojismo is the Guatemalan teacher, Juan Pablo Romero Fuenes, who started his activities for children in the garage of his parents' house. Then, the organisation started to grow, and in 2014 Juan Pablo was awarded the title of CNN Hero.
PROJECT SUPPORTED BY KF:
We support El Patojismo in the creation of the safe space for women and girls, whose problems have aggravated due to the pandemic. This is a place free of violence, in which they receive health care, psychological aid, and support in the field of reproductive and sexual health. They also have access to free sanitary products and gain knowledge about their body. At the same time, they can develop their passions and artistic skills.
In addition, the joint initiative of El Patojismo and the Kulczyk Foundation also consists of the network of educators, who are equipped with competences needed to identify cases of sexual exploitation. They also support girls and women who have been victims of sexual abuse, giving them help to treat trauma as well as emotional and health problems. Furthermore, under the supervision of qualified personnel, girls can participate in entrepreneurship workshops that will allow them to find a job in the future.
El Patojismo estimates that during the project direct aid will be provided to more than 130 girls attending the educational program in 2021. Indirectly, over 200 women of all ages from the local community will be supported.
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