Anabaptist organizations from South America gather to share ideas on working with children

Mennonite Central Committee
Saturday, 23 September 2000

AKRON, Pa. -- "Kids on the streets can't practice good hygiene," says Andres Zorrilla. "Clipping their nails is an easy way to help them with their hygiene and their self esteem. More importantly though, clipping a child's nails forces them to trust you and gives you a chance to talk face to face with them for a few minutes."

This strategy is just one of many that Zorrilla learned at a summer conference for Anabaptist organizations in South America working with children. The conference, held July 30 to August 4, was hosted by Program for Working Children and Adolescents (PRONATS), a program of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) in Santa Cruz, Bolivia.

"As leaders of programs we often lack opportunities in South America to meet with professionals in our field," says Zorrilla, an MCC worker who serves as PRONATS co-coordinator. "This particular group shared a deep camaraderie and bond through their ties to the Anabaptist church tradition."

Conference participants came from 10 MCC partner organizations that work in different capacities with child laborers, abused and neglected children and those living on the street.

"At risk children are a growing population in South America, due to armed conflicts, economic necessity and social unrest," says Zorrilla. "By sharing and meeting together, our work is enriched by learning from others' mistakes and successes -- ultimately improving our work with children and what we offer."

"The discussion on character formation and discipline was fantastic," said Cecelia Calderón, who works with a daycare for children of low-income families run by "Iglesia Menonita Dios Viviente" (Living God Mennonite Church ) in Guayaquil, Ecuador. This discussion focused on how to encourage the development of positive values such as dignity, honesty, non-violence and respect of others, explained Zorrilla.

Participants also discussed how Anabaptist theology shapes their work and visited various programs for youth in and around Santa Cruz, including a neighborhood library, a home for children abandoned at birth, an education facility for children living on the street and a program that helps children reestablish family ties.

"Delegates unanimously and enthusiastically expressed interest in meeting again next year," said Zorrilla. Plans for a 2001 conference in Bogotá, Colombia are underway.

Groups that participated in this event included Mano Amiga, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Programa con Niños, Niñas y Adolescentes Trabajadores, Santa Cruz, Bolivia; Casa Abierta de José y Hogar Nuevo Vivir, Curitiba, Brazil; Programa 5 & 2 Multiplicando para Todos, Santiago, Chile; Ministerio Niños de la Calle, Bogotá, Colombia; Fundación Shekinah, Manta, Ecuador; Centro do Desarrollo Infantíl Dios Viviente, Guayaquil, Ecuador; Proyecto Betél, Guayaquil, Ecuador; Albergue El Abrigo, Asunción, Paraguay; Hogar Siquem, Las Piedras, Uruguay.

For more information, or to contact Mennonite Central Committee, see their website at: www.mcc.org