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Niño a Niño
During this time they came across the Child-to-Child Trust, a British organisation that started in 1979 and today has become an international movement of health education workers and programmes. Since the organisation’s aim is not to transfer a system of solutions from culture to culture, but rather to facilitate a local process of reflection and action, the child-to-child approach has overcome socio-cultural boundaries and achieved international success. More than a hundred Child-to-Child groups around the world are united by an objective to protect and preserve the health of communities by enabling children and youth to play an active role in their personal health development, as well as the health development of their peers and families. Niño a Niño Mexico is the only child-to-child group in the country. Today the organisation has trained members of the Secretary of Health, the Integral Family Development System (DIF) and members from organisations throughout Latin America in the child-to-child methodology. They also train facilitators who are interested in starting a Niño a Niño group in their community. Currently there are 24 groups in 4 of Oaxaca’s regions; Central Valleys, Istmo, Sierra and Mixteca. Together, the group reflects on the necessities of the community and chooses an issue that is most critical. In order to achieve a more in depth exploration, the facilitator employs a variety of teaching methods that help children communicate their message through different mediums, such as song, theatre, storytelling and painting. The result is an interactive and stimulating meeting that leaves children wanting to return the following week. Common themes that surface during group discussions include diarhorrea, garbage, water contamination and nutrition. Usually, the plan of action is aimed at sharing what the group has learned with the rest of the community in an educational format. In the past, children have painted murals about preventing the accumulation of garbage, and currently a Niño a Niño youth group is putting together a play on alcoholism. The entire process, from the identification of the issue to the evaluation is determined by the very members of the community, making it a sustainable and culturally relevant form of development, which avoids the many problems brought about by development programs from abroad. Niño a Niño relies on a small but dedicated team of workers and volunteers, some of which have been with the organisation since its beginning. Time has strengthened the staff’s relationship with Niño a Niño participants to the extent that today the main office represents an entire support system where people go seeking resources, employment advice, personal and family counselling as well as educational support. There are plenty of volunteer opportunities. The only requirements are a minimum stay of 3 months and basic knowledge of Spanish |
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