Latin America Projects

Nicaragua

Paraguay

Honduras (coming soon)

1. We support children and youth in complementing their formal learning with technological means and virtual tools that reinforce their knowledge for life and work.
2. We promote the development of a Savings Culture in the family, both with children and adults.
3. We promote the protection of children and adolescents, the safe use of technology, and the prevention of violence.
4. We promote preventive health care, care for natural resources, and the environment.

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1. Apoyamos a la niñez y juventud a complementar sus aprendizajes formales con medios tecnológicos y herramientas virtuales que refuerzan sus conocimientos para la vida y el trabajo.
2. Promovemos el desarrollo de una Cultura de Ahorro en la familia, tanto con la niñez como con adultos.
3. Promovemos la protección de la niñez y adolescentes, el uso seguro de tecnologías y la prevención de la violencia.
4. Promovemos la salud preventiva, el cuidado de los recursos naturales y el medio ambiente 

We work to strengthen the capacities of children, adolescents and their families to prevent any form of violence, through campaigns and awareness-raising actions we promote positive parenting; we also strengthen their knowledge so that they can use digital platforms in a safe way, thus being able to have a safe and protective environment where they can develop their full potential.

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Trabajamos para fortalecer las capacidades de niñas, niños, adolescentes y sus familias para que puedan prevenir cualquier forma de violencia, a través de campañas y acciones de sensibilización y promovemos la crianza positiva; también fortalecemos sus conocimientos para que utilicen plataformas digitales de forma segura y así poder contar con entornos seguros y protectores dónde puedan desarrollar su máximo potencial.

We believe that education is the tool to transform the environment, so from an early age we develop skills through play so that children can strengthen their knowledge, we promote the use of digital platforms that allow them to continue learning in innovative ways, we support teachers to continue strengthening their skills, and we support with technological equipment and supply of materials that strengthen the learning of children and adolescents.

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Creemos que la educación es la herramienta para poder transformar entornos, por eso desde temprana edad apoyamos el desarrollo de habilidades a través del juego para que niñas y niños puedan fortalecer sus conocimientos, promovemos el uso de las plataformas digitales que les permita de una forma innovadora seguir aprendiendo, apoyamos a los docentes a seguir fortaleciendo sus capacidades, y apoyamos con el equipamiento tecnológico y entrega de materiales que fortalezcan el aprendizaje de la niñez y adolescencia. 

We promote spaces where girls and boys can express themselves through art, painting, theater, or communication groups, where they identify topics that are relevant to children in their community and help raise awareness.

We encourage active listening to children in order to improve our programmatic actions. We also create opportunities for them to connect and exchange experiences with other girls and boys.

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Promovemos espacios donde niñas y niños puedan expresarse a través del arte, la pintura, teatro o grupo de comunicadores dónde ellos identifican temáticas que son de interés para la niñez en su comunidad y contribuyen a sensibilizar a la comunidad, promovemos la escucha activa de la niñez para mejorar nuestras acciones programáticas; así mismo creamos conexiones para que puedan intercambiar experiencias con otros niños y niñas.

Starting in July 2024, the Mita Arandu project—named with the Guaraní words “Mita” meaning “child” and “Arandu” meaning “smart”—will support over 600 children aged 3 to 5 in the districts of Abaí and San Juan Nepomuceno, Caazapá. Led by Children Believe and funded by KOICA through ChildFund Korea, the project aims to enhance educational environments, build teaching capacities, and promote positive parenting practices and nutrition awareness among families and caregivers over a three-year period.

Responding to the region's significant challenges, including inadequate educational infrastructure, limited resources, and insufficient teacher and caregiver training, Mita Arandu will address these gaps to improve early childhood education. The need to strengthen the capacities of teachers and parents/caregivers in Early Childhood Care and Education are critical aspects that require immediate attention. The project will be implemented in partnership with Fundación Alda and coordinated with Paraguay’s Ministry of Education and Sciences (MEC), fostering nurturing learning spaces to boost school readiness and long-term academic outcomes.

Beginning in August 2024, Phase II of the Emergent Literacy project will support 93 schools in Caazapá and Guairá to improve school readiness for children aged 3 to 6. The project focuses on developing essential early literacy skills such as oral language, phonological awareness, and storytelling to prepare children for formal education and reduce grade repetition.

Phase I showed increased family involvement and positive shifts in educational practices. Phase II will directly benefit 3,568 individuals (2,385 women and 1,183 men) and indirectly reach 9,657 people (4,770 girls/women and 4,887 boys/men).

Emergent Literacy is a Children Believe project with funds from the Taiwan Fund for Children and Families (TFCF), implemented directly by Children Believe in coordination with the Ministry of Education and Sciences (MEC).

Children Believe Paraguay has been a leader in child protection and participation, playing a key role in the "WEB Safe & Wise: Creating a Better Digital World with Children" campaign under the ChildFund Alliance. As a representative of children and youth groups in Paraguay, Heriberto has been instrumental in advocating for online safety and digital literacy, including his impactful participation in the Safer Internet Day event in Manila, Philippines, in February 2024. Meet the council members.

The "WEB Safe & Wise" campaign focuses on promoting online safety among children and youth, with active engagement from children in campaign activities. Key achievements include the development of a digital toolkit, resources for online safety, and a campaign microsite.

Heriberto's participation in the Safer Internet Day event held February 2024 brought global visibility to Paraguay’s efforts in child-led digital safety. As a panelist and a member of the UN's Intergenerational Dialogue on Child Protection Online. As a panelist, Heriberto shared insights and experiences from Paraguay with peers from Mexico, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and India, highlighting the innovative approaches and successes of our programs in online safety. These efforts have contributed to the success of the campaign and will continue to drive child protection discussions, culminating in the first National Forum in August 29, 2024.

Heriberto's work has strengthened international collaborations and ensured that children’s voices are central to child protection efforts, particularly in the digital space.

February - June 2020

In Paraguay, it’s difficult to access pre-elementary education, which comes at the most critical time of a child’s development. This is especially the case in poor communities where there’s low literacy and scant ability to promote a formal education where children can feel safe and appreciated. So, 600+ girls and boys were excited to access educational supplies — colouring books, educational games, music equipment and more — and safe spaces to learn the government’s early-childhood development curriculum at 10 public schools and eight Children Believe-organized community spaces.

February - June 2020

Dental care is hard to find in certain regions of Paraguay, so we implemented this project to improve access for more than 6,000 people from the Blas Garay community. We provided dentistry equipment and health supplies to the local health clinic, and the Ministry of Health provided a dentist to administer care.

Partner: Paraguay’s Ministry of Health

February - June 2020

Our goal was to improve hygiene and promote disease prevention in more than 30 schools by providing access to safe drinking water and developing educational resources on keeping clean and healthy. The installation of 124 water fountains, 12 sinks and 20 fans as well as the distribution of 600 personal- hygiene packs and 600 oral-hygiene packs benefited nearly 30,000 people.

August 2018 - August 2019

More than 40,000 people benefited from this project aimed at raising social awareness about the importance of child participation and child protection in Paraguay’s Remansito, Limpio and Villeta communities. Child and youth groups learned their rights, leveraging three reference centres renovated to use as meeting places where they built their knowledge and grew their leadership skills. Young advocates who benefited from the project contributed to 20 commitments to improving children’s lives, a document their country’s President committed to enacting (See: “Strengthening the implementation…” project brief).

Funding partners: Taiwan Fund for Children and Families

December 2018 - November 2019

This initiative aligned with the United Nations’ global goals created in 2016 to end poverty and other global challenges by 2030. Goal 16.2 focuses on eradicating violence against children. The government of Paraguay, ChildFund Alliance and Christian Children’s Fund of Canada (now Children Believe) were actively involved in promoting the inclusion of Goal 16.2 in the global list. Subsequent to this, Paraguay was designated a “Pathfinder” country and, with the support of SOS Paraguay and UNICEF, presented an action plan to achieve 16.2.

As a result of the action plan, the government of Paraguay upgraded the National Secretariat for Children and Adolescents to a ministry level, creating a Ministry of Children and Adolescents. Later that year, the government also signed and ratified 20 commitments to children and adolescents.

Since then, young people in our programs have represented their country at global summits designed to end violence against children, and parents in our communities have benefited from positive parenting training and other initiatives.

Funding partner: Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children