By Anna-Emilia Hietanen | Project Leader
Hi!
Our program “Help Children Left Behind in Mexico” in the state of Hidalgo has come to an end. I would like to share with you the excellent results of this program that helps the children of migrant parents through our “I want to, I can” Child Development Centers. The Centers attend children aged 0-10 and their parents or caretakers through activities that promote child development, health and nutrition. In total, 2,517 persons (657 adults and 1860 babies and children) benefitted from the program.
As in all our projects, we evaluate the impact of the program. In this case, wwe have evaluated children who participate in the program and children who don’t (control group). In our last report, we told you how the babies who participate in the activities of our “I want to, I can” Child Development Centers in Hidalgo, have higher level of social, emotional de cognitive development that the babies who don’t participate. I’m glad to tell that in other age groups, we also have made great advances.
The preschool children (aged from 3-6) who participate in the program, show higher cognitive development than their peers that didn’t attend the Centers. This means, that the children in our program think more before acting, understand adults better and have more control over their own acts that the children in control group. What comes to social interaction, 53% of children that participated in the program are extroverted and affectionate, while this happened with only 22% of the children who didn’t participate in the program. The children who participated in the program are also less anxious than the children who didn’t.
The positive results can be seen also in the primary school children who participated in the activities of the Child Development Centers. The children improved their life skills in a significant manner. For example, there was an increase in their capacity to resolve problems (47% before the program and 58% after the program) and in self-knowledge (43% before the program and 60% after they participated the program). After participating in the program, the children also know how to communicate more assertively (from 70% to 78%) and improved their capacity of team work (from 56% to 68%).
As one teacher put it: “ (…) well now we see the children more sociable, very participative, they express their emotions, their feelings, they say what they feel, what they like, what they don’t like, although sometimes some (adults who haven’t participated in the program and are in favor of children being quiet and not expressive) say that they are more rebellious because of this”.
All these skills and abilities and better nutrition and health will help the Children Left behind to have a better future and aspire to leave behind the circle of poverty that is affecting them and their families.
I want to thank you so much for having participated in this project and supporting these marginalized children. Our next step is to help the Child Development Centers to continue their work independently, so that many many more children can benefit from this program. Please continue to follow us in Global Giving. Together we can make a positive impact!
By Anna-Emilia Hietanen | Project Leader
By Anna-Emilia Hietanen | Project Leader
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