Plan Guatemala Annual Progress Report 2010

A YEAR IN

Guatemala

SUMMARY REPORT

2010

Scholarships have been important in getting many children to school

3

GOOD REASONS

OUR PRIORITIES

why Plan works in Guatemala

in Guatemala

• An estimated seven out of ten Guatemalan children are mistreated or abused

• Improving healthcare, enabling families to get better hygiene, sanitation and nutrition, and helping more children to go to school

• The number of families living in poverty has increased to 51 per cent as a result of the global economic crisis

• Increasing opportunities for children to take part in their community’s development, and helping local government to prioritise children’s needs

• Rates of preventable diseases among children are high, including respiratory infections, diarrhoea and malnutrition

• Improving the way that families, communities and the government deal with child mistreatment and sexual abuse

‘Helping children overcome trauma, build self-esteem and feel part of society is very satisfying’

U su ma c in

ta

A woman tests the water quality in her community

Amerindian languages Climate: The three distinct geographical regions of Guatemala – the highlands; the Pacific coast south of the mountains; and the Petén region, north of the mountains – vary in climate, elevation, and landscape, providing dramatic contrasts between hot and humid tropical lowlands and colder and drier highland peaks.

Economy: Guatemala’s GDP

per capita is US$5300; however, this developing country still faces many social problems and is among the ten poorest countries in Latin America. The distribution of income remains highly unequal with approximately 29 per cent of the population living below the poverty line.

San Pedro

Us um ac i nta Carchá

Salamá Rabinal Quetzaltenango

Guatemala City Escuintla

GUATEMALA Country Office Program Units

Polochic

Puerto Barrios Gualán

Motagua

Jalapa

HONDURAS

Coc

Lempa

Le mp a

Population: 13.2 million Capital: Guatemala City Languages: Spanish and

a jalv Gri

Guatemala Facts

BELIZE

Petén

MEXICO

Grand

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Focus on: child protection

Child mistreatment, neglect and abuse are widespread in Guatemala. Plan raises awareness of the impact of mistreatment, and helps children get the support, care and protection they need. We promote the reform of laws dealing with mistreatment and abuse. Plan’s experience is recognised

nationally, and Guatemala’s Ministry of Health hopes to extend our child protection program throughout the whole country.

Ending Mistreatment Grandmothers are good at giving advice.

In the city of Jalapa, south-east Guatemala, a group of grandmothers is fighting child mistreatment and abuse. Every afternoon, they answer calls at the ‘Child rearing with Love’ phone hotline, helping parents resolve child-raising problems and develop healthy relationships with their children.

This support is desperately needed. Most cases of mistreatment and abuse go unreported because tradition is used to justify parents’ aggression towards children. A third of women use corporal punishment and there is a high tolerance of sexual abuse within families.

Someone to talk to Rosa is one of 11 grandmothers who volunteer at the hotline. ‘Economic worries and unemployment cause parents to lose control and hit their children,’ she says.

‘You see it everywhere.’

Another grandmother, Isabel, is widowed. For her, the project ‘gives my life a greater sense of purpose’. She supports victims who are referred to hospital, or helps them file reports with the police. ‘Sometimes, people call when they are very upset. I ask them to calm down and tell their story slowly,’ Isabel says.

The hotline is part of a child protection project that Plan has been running in Jalapa since 2005, working with government and community organisations to promote child protection. As well as the hotline, the project includes community networks made up of volunteers. They identify, refer and follow up cases of abuse and mistreatment.

There’s also a psycho-social attention unit, based in Jalapa’s provincial hospital. The unit provides specialist care for children and families where there are cases of mistreatment or sexual abuse. Most are referred by doctors who treat the children in the hospital’s emergency department.

Psychologist Mirna and social worker Hilda care for around 56 cases each month. They make home visits to provide follow-up treatment or corroborate cases, and promote the unit to government agencies who receive reports of abuse. The unit then decides whether to take criminal action when families are reluctant to report cases.

Trail blazing ‘Most patients are mistreated through negligence, neglect or their parents’ mistaken ways of raising children,’ says Mirna. ‘We receive many cases of sexually abused children, mainly girls aged 12 to 15. While blazing a trail has been difficult, the need to do so has been demonstrated. Often, we treat cases where parents come without referrals because they want to raise their children without mistreating them.’

Mirna and Hilda are very proud of the unit.

‘It has been an enormous challenge and very beneficial in terms of treating children well in the family,’ says Hilda. ‘Helping children overcome trauma, build self-esteem and feel part of society is very satisfying.’

Hospital director Dr Quijada describes the unit as ‘a child whose birth Jalapa has witnessed, which has grown and become very vigorous.’

Working together The unit, hotline and community networks are changing the way that communities and the government deal with mistreatment and abuse.

Dr Quijada believes the project ‘has a dissuasive effect’, because taking cases to court deters potential abusers and raises the unit’s profile.

Jalapa’s governor is impressed by the hotline: ‘I admire the work that has been done,’ he says.

‘The government was not very committed at first, but now the commitment of institutions and officials is evident.’

Thanks to the dedication of individuals like Rosa, Isabel, Hilda and Mirna, the project is providing a model of how Plan, communities, and government can work together to tackle mistreatment and abuse.

Some names have been changed for child protection and privacy reasons.

Produced for Guatemala by Plan International Australia.

A child votes as part of community governance of projects in his community

The Bigger Picture Plan is working with children, families and communities to find sustainable solutions to the challenges in Guatemala. We have only given you a small insight into Plan’s work in Guatemala with this report but over the past year we also: • Provided agricultural training, increased food production, developed seed banks and improved soil management in 35 communities • Trained 1724 teachers in 375 communities, provided school management training in 323 communities, and constructed or rehabilitated 32 schools • Supported the Ministry of Health to the point where they can assume responsibility for funding services in 328 communities previously dependent on Plan Your support as a sponsor is crucial to achieving these results. With the resources provided by sponsors, Plan expertise and the collaboration of communities and local partners we are making a big difference to the lives of people in Guatemala.

Thank you for your involvement!

To learn more about Plan’s work in Guatemala visit plan.org.au/ourwork/southernamerica/guatemala

‘Economic worries and unemployment cause parents to lose control and hit their children.

You see it everywhere.’