Located in the suburbs of Juazeiro, in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil, the Lar Feliz Foundation serves children from low-income families. These families receive government assistance and are struggling to survive through activities that include trash collecting, cleaning jobs, selling drugs and prostitution.
Members of this community live in highly vulnerable conditions: the community is devoid of basic sanitation, lacks good quality water, there is poor garbage collection, there is no paving of streets and the houses are shacks mostly made of mud and cardboard. Birth and mortality rates are high and many community youth is lost too early due to drug trafficking and violence in the neighborhood.
Reports of sexual abuse in childhood are common; there are large numbers of teenage pregnancies and many cases of teenage prostitution. This ICDP initiative has been successful in developing a strong sense of empathy and respect for children and establishing good quality relationships between adults and children.
In addition to the group meetings at the Lar Feliz premises, home visits were also made to accompany a number of families who needed most support.
Before starting with the ICDP courses, we carried out a baseline survey of the three groups parents, caregivers and teachers to investigate the socioeconomic profile and establish different aspects of adult-child relationships. Additionally teachers rated the behavior of each student and their families, taking into account the relationship with the school and the 3 dialogues proposed by the ICDP.
