What is Escuela de la Calle?
The Escuela de la Calle (EDELAC) or Street School is a Guatemalan indigenous organization dedicated to improving the lives of destitute children in the southwestern highland city of Quetzaltenango, known locally as Xela (SHAY-la). Formed in October 1993 by three Guatemalan social workers and an American teacher, EDELAC now works with 60 children in three categories: street children, former street children who now live with foster families, and children at risk of becoming homeless.
EDELAC has a variety of assistance programs tailored to meet the needs of each group of children. Our efforts address the immediate needs of these children, as well as find solutions for the types of familial and personal problems that force children to live on the street.
General Objectives of EDELAC:
To minimize the influx of children to life on the streets of Quetzaltenango through preventative social work.
To increase the earnings capacity of parents, taking into account the abilities of parents and the needs of their children.
To strengthen the formal and informal education of high risk children, while addressing their other basic needs.
To attend to the curative and preventative health of high risk children to contribute to their overall development.
More about the Escuela de la Calle
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