Coca-Cola Doesn't Belong in Milk Bottles

Childreach
Friday, 1 June 2001

People attending the PrepCom call for the participation of children in the process of decision-making, but how sincere are they? Isn't it a bit farfetched, the thought of children deciding what crops to plant, and with whom the next war should be fought? But the children of Ecuador, with the help of PLAN International, have demonstrated that they can speak eloquently about their needs.

Arturo Valdivieso, Nathaly Yepez, and Miryam Cunduri are three Ecuadorian children who were sent to the PrepCom by their government to represent the young people of Ecuador. They have brought with them a description of children's problems in their country. It is clear and simple enough.

The three identified problem areas for children in Ecuador: education, health, violence against children, discrimination against children, and children's participation. Arturo described some problems in education: 'Schools should be free, but they're not. Students have to pay for books, uniforms, and tuition.' In a country where 70% of the population lives below the poverty line (closer to 90% of the indigenous are poor), such expenses can cut short one's education early on. What's more, Arturo says, the teachers are often unqualified; some have only finished high school.

Silvia Mora is a staff member of PLAN International at its Quito branch. PLAN International channels funds from private donors worldwide into impoverished communities, for such infrastructure projects as health centers and schools. Ms. Mora is attending the PrepCom as a representative of PLAN International and also as chaperone to the Ecuadorian youth delegation. She commented on educational problems, noting that teachers are so badly paid that some of them unilaterally decide to teach only four or five months a year, so that they can go off and find other work. Ms. Mora points out, 'It is a problem that the people in the community don't know that they have the right to write a letter and complain about this.' problem

The result of these problems is that there are pupils in the fifth grade who cannot count, and don't understand why they should learn to multiply. All this, in the words of Arturo, adds up to a violation of children's right to education.

Nathaly and Arturo elaborated on health problems: There is no AIDS education in the schools, and children are very vulnerable to this problem. Drugs are also a danger: street children, child laborers, and poor children are very easy targets for sellers of drugs. On malnutrition, Arturo noted: 'We see that many parents don't have the information they need regarding what is good to feed their children. Many poor and indigenous parents are putting Coca-Cola in milk bottles.'

To address these problems, Arturo, Nathaly, and Miryam are asking for the chance to have input at government level. Arturo: 'We are asking for a space for participation. Who knows about our problems better than us? We have no vote, no voice. We want to change this now.'

PLAN International has organized an innovative forum for children to participate in matters that are important to them. The organization helped form children's councils at the community level in some of the localities where PLAN International is active. The children of these councils have come up with some main requests:

- That their parents not get drunk;
- that fathers not hit mothers;
- that parents spend more time with them on their homework.

Children are not involved with infrastructure projects; they are concerned with things much more immediate to their lives. Here, the children of Ecuador have spoken clearly about what they want. Arturo Valdivieso spoke of the 'right to be heard.' Now, will the adults of Ecuador listen?

Miryam Cunduri, age ten, is from a Quichua indigenous community in the Andes. She seems more serious than the average 20- or 30-year-old North American, although she has her lighthearted moments. She said, 'The politicians want to be seen with children, but they are not taking real action.' It may be a long time before the politicians of Ecuador, or for that matter politicians anywhere, will take the voice of children seriously. But when asked whether adults could be persuaded to listen to children, Arturo, Miryam, and Nathaly unanimously responded, 'They will if children unite.'

To this end, Arturo summed up the goals of his youth delegation: 'We want the work we are doing here to serve as a foundation for other children who are suffering in the world, so that they can unite with us. We want the right to study, and to live with others with affection, love, and protection, in a healthy environment. We want to live with dignity —and we want to be heard by adults.'

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