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  • Title: Thinking about tomorrow. The IAF and youth programs in Latin America and the Caribbean.
    Author: Pezzullo S.
    Journal: Grassroots Dev; 1994; 18(2):13-8. PubMed ID: 12345888.
    Abstract:
    While child survival programs are making headway, the young people who have survival childhood in Latin America and the Caribbean are living in poverty, dropping out of school, and generally suffering to the extent that their potential contributions to society are obviated. For more than 2 decades, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have been using innovative programs to combat these ills. The Inter-American Foundation (IAF), for example, has devoted 5% of its budget to youth-oriented development during the past 25 years. To choose appropriate recipients, the IAF has worked with NGOs to achieve a workable balance between designing quality programs around the developmental needs of a specific age cohort which keep in mind the myriad socioeconomic factors affecting the well-being of these children. One such program, in Santiago, Chile, provides recreational activities which allow low-income children to build their sense of community, instill values, and bolster self-esteem. With these connections in place, other problems, such as domestic violence, can be addressed. Donors must also choose between programs which aid children directly or those which work indirectly through the family and community. The key to making this decision is keeping the developmental needs of the children in mind. Programs must also be flexible and expect a constant turnover of membership, since youth is a time of transition. It is also vital to include youth in program design and implementation. In addition, donors must find ways to stretch limited resources; for example, by developing alternative strategies for youth development that can be expanded (such as providing technical support to community-based alternative schools). It is also important for information about innovative projects to be shared. Increasing international concern about the plight of children has opened the way for NGOs to play a broader role. The UN World Summit on Youth in 1990 and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child provided a framework for a policy dialogue between public and private groups working on behalf of children. NGOs can also influence policy, and the children they serve can play an important lobbying role.
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