URBANIZATION, POVERTY, AND CHILDREN IN LATIN AMERICA

• La Fundacion Nacional para la Superacion de la Pobreza is a non-governmental and not-for-profit organization located in Santiago, Chile at:

Londres 33 •Santiago, Chile • Casilla 425-V. Correo 21• Santiago

• La Fundacion was founded in 1995 as an institution of the civil society and a continuation of an organization of the same name. Its mission is to overcome poverty and continue to create better living conditions for all Chileans. Unlike many other organizations, La Fundacion focuses on supporting and furthering initiatives begun by the poor themselves. The ultimate goal is to encourage cooperation of private organizations, NGO’s, foundations, the government, and el pueblo in the design, discussion, and implementation of strategies for social betterment and increased equity. 

• La Fundacion and its many programs also receive financial support from the Programa de Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo (PNUD) or the UN Program for Development. 

Adopta un Herman@

• Adopta un Herman@ matches 90 public-school poor children between the ages of 8 and 12 with 90 university students in an individual tutoring program during a six-month period. The pairs meet two times every week for two hours each time. The university student "adopts" the child, helping with schoolwork, providing motivation, meeting the child’s family, and inviting him/her to participate in cultural, social, and athletic activities. In return, the tutor earns a small stipend that helps fund his/her own education.

• Adopta believes that many poor children lack educative support in their families and their communities. It recognizes that other social problems might be limiting educational potential and causing low self-esteem, high dropout rates, and a lack of motivation. Adopta believes that university students, many of whom have overcome similar poverty, have the ability and the desire to help disadvantaged youth. Through this interaction, both poor children and university students benefit. 

• The goals of Adopta un Herman@ are to: strengthen ties between el pueblo and local leaders by encouraging a more active role for youth; reduce the frequency of repeating grades and dropping out of school; develop actions to prevent drug addiction and alcoholism through mentoring; open communication between marginalized sectors of society; and form networks between professors, students, universitarios, communities, and local government.

Programa de Redes Sociales

• Redes Sociales focuses on mobilizing and unifying already existing social networks in a number of arenas including women’s rights, rural issues, infancy (0-5 years of age), and disability. Redes Sociales recognizes that poverty among children younger than 15 is 10% higher than the rest of the nation, and that young children (0-5) are often hit the hardest by poverty. Malnutrition, physical trauma, and delayed brain development are all connected to poverty and have their most severe effect at an early age. 
 
 

SOURCES

CIA­The World Factbook 1999, Chile
www.cia.gov

-Unemployment rate of 6.4% in 1998
-External debt of $31.5 billion in 1998
-Population living below poverty line- 20.5% in 1994 estimate
-Household income or consumption by % share

Lowest 10%: 1.4%
Highest 10%: 46.1%

CIS­Statistical Universe (July 1998)
Web.lexis-nexis.com/statuniv/documen…Bat&_md5=f4ed1026d7f17e06b06fbebccea72f44

-Population: 14,787,781
-Urban Population: 12,421,736 (84% of total)
-Rural Population: 2,366,044 (26%)
-Population under 15 years old: 4,140,578 (28%)

Library of Congress on-line
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/cltoc.html

-1991 Population Distribution Chart

1999 World Development Indicators CD-ROM

-1995 Population Distribution Information/Statistics

Fundacion Nacional para la Superacion de la Pobreza
www.fundacionpobreza.cl

-Information on the Fundacion, Adopta un Herman@, Programa de Redes Sociales

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