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To
support families and communities, the Pastoral da Criança
also develops several important projects complementing
its basic actions and reinforcing community work, aiming
the improvement of quality of life for the assisted
families.
| 1 |
Literacy for
youth and adults |
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It has been demonstrated that the higher the level
of education of mothers, the lower the rate of child
mortality. Pastoral da Criança has developed
the literacy program for youths and adults for 12
years, teaching community leaders and family members
participating in the programs. The courses are developed
under their own approach, based on the use of key
words that reinforce the context of basic actions
for health, education and nutrition. More than 20
thousand youths and adults learn to read and write
every year. |
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| 2 |
Revenue generation |
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The community revenue generating program goal
is to make sure that the poor families assisted
by the Pastoral can provide minimum income to
survive. Also, the project provides support to
a better quality life and health standards. The
resources are forwarded to the families by the
Pastoral da Criança after an evaluation
time when the activity chosen by each family is
approved. There are different projects available,
such as sewing, bakery, vegetable growing, animal
breeding, etc.
A special effort focus professional education
through training courses. The idea is to improve
equal job opportunities for the community leaders,
volunteers and members of the families assited
by the Pastoral da Criança. In 2001, 42
revenue generation projects were approved and
309 people were trained to work in different activities
all over Brazil.
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| 3 |
Participation in social
control/ REBIDIA |
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The program trains community leaders to participate
in city actions controlling public services, such
as health, social assistance and the children and
adolescent rights councils. To keep training and
permanent information addressed to public policymakers
and social control agents in the cities and states,
the Pastoral da Criança - together with other
entities, has developed the REBIDIA - The Brazilian
Network of Information and Documentation on Childhood
and Adolescence (Rede Brasileira de Informação
e Documentação sobre a Infância
e a Adolescência). |
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| 4 |
Conversation rounds |
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The program organizes Conversation Rounds involving
all community leaders of all sectors to discuss
problems and search for solutions for the problems
that are shared by the community. The Conversation
Rounds stimulate community participation through
a concept that can be summarized through the key
words see, judge, act, evaluate and celebrate. The
topics for discussion are the problem of adolescent
pregnancy and its prevention, drugs, alcohol and
other relevant subjects to the community. |
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| 5 |
Projeto Criança Viva
(Living Child Program) |
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Supported by the Criança Esperança/Globo
Television Network/UNICEF TV show, the program develops
community actions to help reduce child mortality
and malnutrition, as it also promotes the organization
of communities in the poorer cities of the country
towards a self-sustained development. It also fosters
complementary actions by the Pastoral da Criança. |
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| 6 |
Nutritional security program |
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A program enhancing food and nutrition actions
in a joint effort with many leaders and local social
representatives. The goal is to implement a nutritional
security program that will ensure quality food to
every citizen. |
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| 7 |
Natural family planning
(The Necklace Method) |
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 Provide
information to couples and youths about family
planning, emphasizing natural methods. To fit
the programs to the target public, Pastoral da
Criança developed a scientific research
and started using the Necklace Method, which makes
it easy to understand the fertility period of
women and guides them to have intervals between
two pregnancies.
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| 8 |
Third Age |
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Facing the world current scenario - reduction
of fertility and infant mortality rates and growth
of life expectancy - and following the example
by most of countries, Brazil is also getting old.
Manu volunteers at Pastoral da Criança
are third age. Based on this fact, the Pastoral
da Criança developed a special program
to make good use of their experience, guiding
the community into healthcare and welfare practices
and actions to ensure their rights. The program
trains community leaders for monthly home visits,
reporting on old people, checking health indexes
and identifying cases that must be forwarded to
public health services. The main goal is quality
longevity.
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| 9 |
Social communication |
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 One
of the ongoing activities of the Pastoral da Criança
is the production of printed and video material.
Among them are twenty educational videos, a bi-month
16-page tabloid-size newspaper with 250 thousand
issues in circulation, and a weekly radio program
called "Viva a Vida", broadcasted through
more than 1,343 radio stations in Brazil, at no
costs. Those materials and programs are intended
to inform and train leaders, communities and families
in all programs of Pastoral da Criança.
The radio shows also present issues of public
interest. The Pastoral also counts on the Communicator
Network Children Solidarity, with over 600 journalists,
radio people, public relation personnel, and popular
artists in 23 Brazilian states. Their volunteer
work is developed in three main areas: increasing
the participation of Pastoral da Criança
in all media, the implementation of radio programs
through local broadcasters, developing themes
such as health and development, nutrition, education
and citizenship for the children. It also provides
individual and group communication techniques
to be used in the communities, including videos,
educational materials, theater, meeting dynamics
and others.
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