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Sponsorship in Chile

CFCA has been involved in Chile since 1982, when it began the Valparaiso project.

The primary focus of the project is to alleviate conditions of poverty faced by those sponsored and their families, and to support them as they strive to overcome obstacles of poverty. There are many programs supporting this purpose.

There is a training program dedicated to mothers of sponsored children, where the mothers are taught sewing, knitting or hairdressing. Small loan programs are also offered to support purchasing sewing machines, material, electric razors or other items required to work in these trades.

The project tends to sponsor more than one child per family in order to reach out to the families in a more complete way.

The project facilitates CFCA families’ participation in a housing program sponsored by the government. In some cases CFCA projects help families purchase a home.

Family programs include workshops for those facing domestic violence. Victims are given protection, understanding and counseling.

Programs are also offered for raising awareness and supporting families dealing with alcoholism.

Families are aided with home repairs and furnishings, acquiring beds, electricity and potable water.

Sponsored children are given school supplies, clothing and shoes to support their education, as well as medicine when needed.

The project partners with a day home for the elderly, where they may spend the day, share two meals and participate in adult education workshops and courses. Recreation and cultural programs include acting, singing, folklore, physical education and guitar lessons. Training is also available in making toys, painting cloth, knitting, sewing and literacy.

Sponsor a child in Chile

About Chile

Chile, in southwest South America, has an average width of 100 miles, and is 10 times as long as it is wide. The largest cities, major factories and best farmland lie in the Central Valley region, between the Andes Mountains in the east and a smaller mountain range in the west. Thousands of small, thinly populated rocky islands, including Easter Island, are also part of Chile. In parts of the Atacama Desert in the north, no rainfall has ever been recorded.

The country is rich in mineral resources, and is the world’s leading copper producer. It also has the only known deposit of natural sodium nitrate in the world.

Summer tourism is an industry that Chile has come to depend on. This has led to more seasonal jobs.

In 1997, the oldest known site of human habitation in the Americas was discovered in southern Chile, and is believed to be 12,500 years old.

The people

Family holds an important place in Chilean society. It is not uncommon for children to spend long periods of time living with relatives, and many people spend their free time with family. Most Chileans use their close family relationships for support in times of need.

About four-fifths of Chileans live in urban areas, which resemble modern cities in the United States. Many unskilled newcomers to the city live in one-room shacks in crowded slums on the cities’ outskirts, where there is no running water, electricity or sewers. Poverty is very common in rural areas, where most people live in one- or two-room houses that lack electricity or running water. Many own small farms or work as laborers or sharecroppers on large farms, and struggle to support their families.

Education

Chile has one of the highest literacy rates in Latin America. Public education is tuition-free through high school and mandatory for ages 6 through 14. The school year runs from March to December. Many children do not go to school beyond the elementary level because they work to support their families, or their families cannot afford supplies and various school fees.

About one-third of children who complete elementary school attend secondary school. Those who do continue usually take technical training and very few prepare for college. Usually, only the sons and daughters of the wealthy complete college.

Sponsor a child in Chile

Sources:

World Factbook

MSN Encarta Encyclopedia