Evaluation Learnings Search

Learning Description

The space models, particularly the EpCs, have furnished the Ministry of National Education with evidence regarding the relevance of creating and supporting spaces that may act as supplementary educational activities, facilitating the healthy growth of children that may keep them away from exploitive child labor dangers. While supplementary activities are not inserted yet in the government educational system; there is a ministry resolution that favors their creation. This is an example of how the project’s experience has shown the benefits that the educational system may obtain by using educational methodologies to fight against child labor.

Learning Description

In Cali, it was observed that the project keeps an excellent relationship and maintains coordination with SENA through Fe y Alegría. This relationship was established within a cooperation framework. It is necessary that SENA recognizes that this organization spares no effort in the observance of its mandates to achieve its goals. For example, it is a usual practice that the vocational learning beneficiaries attend the different SENA structures. However, in Cali, if there are difficulties with the transportation of the project beneficiaries, the SENA staff go to the neighborhoods, regardless of whether they are dangerous or perceived as such and tailor their service offer to the conditions of each community with which they work. The clear understanding of personnel regarding the nature of their mission and its fulfillment is very positive.

Learning Description

Another good relevance practice is the agreement between Acción Social and the project in Samacá, Boyacá, where the project contributes with its methodology strategy and the government finances a great part of the activities; it also delivers social services to the inhabitants. Samacá is a mining and agricultural area. In the visit performed for this evaluation, no children were observed working in the mines.

Learning Description

The selection of the project beneficiaries is very good. The project has children that need to be withdrawn from recycling work, full day street vending, commercial sexual exploitation, and domestic work in other homes, particularly with female children. Furthermore, it works in the prevention of NNAs from work and the problems of forced displacement, extreme poverty, and excluded groups. These are not only activities included for the eradication of child labor and WFCL in the National Strategy, but also concerns key actors have expressed during the interviews, that the project has been recognized for recruiting populations difficult to access or work with, besides being recognized as the worst forms of work, which should be given priority, and they were reported as the best strengths of the project.

Learning Description

A study was performed by the UNINORTE Foundation to verify the efficacy of the QL methodology in the beneficiaries’ academic performance and attitude. This is a good example of the scientific work that projects should always provide to verify the efficacy with respect to their donors as well as to the society in general, as it is a good strategy for the promotion of sustainability of actions and strategies.

Learning Description

The Vivo Jugando program funded by Nike and other agencies is an initiative that enriches QL methodology. It is a program beneficiaries like, and it lays out equality lines of gender in sports.

Learning Description

The subcontractors and the partners, as well as the government staff involved closely with the project, are highly capable and efficient. Outstanding young men and women, who stand out in their duties, take responsibilities seriously, and make the defense of minors their personal fight.

Learning Description

One of the more notable features of the project is the relatively large number of subcontractors, conceptualized as consortium “partners” or “implementing agents” (gestores). As the midterm review reflects, working with various local organizations allowed the project to take advantage of local knowledge and to contribute to the capacity of several grassroots organizations. That said, not every local organization counted with the same amount of “local knowledge.” While some organizations did indeed have years of experience in a local community, others made the decision to use this opportunity to branch out to new communities where there were no preexisting relationships and often very little existing communal organization, resulting in uneven results across different zones. One lesson from this experience is the importance of taking advantage of existing community relationships and being aware of the social capital available in different communities, a resource that, as discussed later, can be crucial for the sustainability of projects.

Learning Description

Among the many strengths of working with local partners and grassroots organizations, one of the most valuable assets of the local teams is the participation of young people from the community as project technicians or coordinators. While this was not the case with all local subcontractors, in organizations like Instituto Dominicano de Desarrollo Integral, Inc. (IDDI— Dominican Institute for Integral Development) and Caminante, the active role played by young people—who had themselves often experienced extremely difficult and even dangerous labor conditions—was a powerful example to beneficiaries and their families. These team members were living examples of both the dangers of child labor and the paths toward professional and personal empowerment.

Learning Description

Echoing one of the findings of the midterm evaluation, the incorporation of NNAs who lack legal documentation and efforts to help these students acquire legal documents remain best practices.