Support for homing, educating and supporting children living on the street in Peru

Context

While enjoying strong economic growth of around 5% in recent years, Peru is still one of the poorest countries in Latin America. It is clear that in 2015 inequalities are indeed still significant. Furthermore, the rights of children as enshrined in the International Convention on the Rights of the Child, are violated: many are working when they should be at school. In fact, 1 in 4 children work on the streets. In general, there are economic and social reasons that oblige them to join the workforce. Some of them also live in extreme poverty on the street, away from their families, or are orphans,
To prevent children and young people from sleeping on the street, the Municipality of Cuzco has entrusted management of a municipal dormitory to the Qosqo-Maki organisation. This organisation has been working with public bodies since 1991 to guarantee the fundamental rights of these young people with dignity, through a multi-sectoral response and in collaboration with the voluntary sector.

Objectives

• Accommodate street kids in the Chocita dorm, and enable them to reach their full potential through various activities
• Encourage their participation in co-managing the dormitory with adults, to familiarise them with defending and enforcing their rights
• Strengthen training, mutual understanding and cooperation between actors involved in protecting vulnerable children  
• Make the Qosqo-Maki organisation’s action more sustainable, through financial involvement of the local authorities

Beneficiaries

• 200 working street children per year
• 11 adults in charge of supporting children daily
• Child protection social services of the Municipality of Cuzco
• Child protection actors, members of the New Seed platform

Local partners

The Qosqo-Maki organisation was founded in 1990 and works with children and adolescents living on the streets in Cuzco. They have a dormitory, library, self-funded micro-enterprise, comprising two training workshops in carpentry and baking and numerous publications to their credit. All these areas of activity are designed as free educational sites, with emphasis placed on co-management between users and educators. The other elements that characterise its actions are: transparency, networking and communication with public bodies. Apprentis d’Auteuil has partnered Qosqo-Maki since 2014.

Actions

• Preventive actions on the different risks faced by children and young people on the street
• Accommodating children and young people in the dormitory
• Support for young people in exercising and defending their rights
• Social and economic actions in the dormitory 
• Collective management of dormitory life
• Working with institutional networks
• Implement a joint action plan with the Municipality in order to better support working children living on the street
• Exchange of experiences between civil society actors

Expected impacts

• 80% of young people accommodated in Chocita are able to use the skills and talents acquired, serving the community and participating in co-management of the dormitory
• 100% of young people accommodated in the Dormitory are placed in the necessary set-up to enable them to learn how to exercise their rights through the ‘Night time Reception Service’
• Qosqo-Maki’s educational project related to the Chocita dormitory is brought up to date and improves the conditions to receive children and young people staying there
• The Qosko Maki organisation has long-term financial support from the Municipality of Cuzco and recognition as an institution locally
• Mutual knowledge of ESRs is improved through the registration and identification report that is conducted
• The collective expertise of civil society actors is strengthened

Contact

Guy-Clement Bemba & Vincent Guiltat

E-mail: Guy-Clement.bemba(at)apprentis-auteuil.org & Vincent.guiltat(at)apprentis-auteuil.org

Tel: +33 (0) 1 44 14 74 27

Budget