The mission of Las Chavaladas is to help rehabilitate street children addicted to drugs and living in especially difficult circumstances. They work toward their reintegration into family and school through a comprehensive intervention program, which includes prevention and awareness of these issues. About 60 children from ages 6 to 18 are welcomed every day at the center where they find psychological and academic support, temporary housing, and love from professional social workers, psychologists, and volunteers. The organization also focuses on social reintegration and organizes events and daily activities for the children in order to try to get them to connect to a “normal” life.
How QT helps
Quetzaltrekkers is involved with Las Chavaladas through the funding of the “escuela movil” (mobile school), a device given by Mobile School, a Belgian organization that develops educational materials that reach children on the streets. Literally a school on wheels, the “escuela movil” contains educational materials, and can be used in the markets where many children live. By bringing the classroom to the streets, educators are able to teach important skills to children who would not otherwise attend school. In addition to financing the transport of the mobile school to Nicaragua, Quetzaltrekkers pays the monthly salary of the educator responsible for utilizing the device.
Quetzaltrekkers volunteers are also involved directly with Las Chavaladas, playing soccer or baseball with the kids every Friday morning. One of the first steps of the reintegration system, the sports program entices street kids, specifically those abusing glue, to put their stimulants aside for a few hours. Thus, after time, they build trust with the Chavaladas workers and volunteers, and can begin to become integrated into the Chavaladas system, progressing toward a drug-free lifestyle in a healthy living environment.
