S/GWI PROJECT PROPOSAL - CIUDAD JUAREZ

UNCLAS CIUDAD JUAREZ 000064

SIPDIS
PASS TO S/GWI

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KPAO PHUM KWMN MX
SUBJECT: S/GWI PROJECT PROPOSAL - CIUDAD JUAREZ

REF: STATE 132094

PROPOSAL REQUEST/SUMMARY




1. US Consulate General Ciudad Juarez proposes a partnership with
Chihuahua's leading private sector foundation, FECHAC (Fundacion
del Empresariado Chihuahuense, A.C.) to expand an after-school
program targeting at-risk girls and boys of working mothers in
Ciudad Juarez. The USD 99,749 program would directly support
Pillar IV of Mission Mexico's "Beyond Merida" framework, which
seeks to strengthen community resistance to criminal organizations.
FECHAC currently operates the after-school program (Horario
Extendido) in 11 schools, reaching 1,400 primary school-aged
students in low-income neighborhoods. Grant resources will
contribute to FECHAC's goal of expanding the program to an
additional 11 schools in 2010. Specifically, the grant will fund
the after-school program in five schools for 12 months, directly
benefitting 400 children. Participating students will be monitored
to determine whether they are reaching the program's desired
outcomes, which include: increased school attendance, improved
grade performance, and better health indicators. At the conclusion
of the grant implementation period, FECHAC has agreed to assume
financial responsibility for the program in these schools.



JUSTIFICATION




2. Violence in Ciudad Juarez reached alarming levels in 2009 and
the city now has one of the highest murder rates in the world.
Last year, there were 2,640 homicides in the city, accounting for
one of every three homicides in Mexico. Conflict related to drug
trafficking is the leading source of this violence, with teenagers
and young adults disproportionately impacted as both victims and
perpetrators of crime. The January 31 murder of fifteen people in
Ciudad Juarez, most of whom were students with no known criminal
ties, is the most recent reminder of this reality and the continued
threats facing youth in the city. Drug trafficking organizations
and gangs increasingly recruit girls and young women who lack
educational opportunities and job skills to participate in criminal
activity. There is a growing local and national consensus that to
reverse this trend Ciudad Juarez needs programs that address the
inadequate supply of quality educational opportunities,
particularly for girls. Between 25 and 40 percent of middle school
and high school-aged children in Juarez are out of school and
unemployed. Efforts to dismantle drug cartels will be undermined
unless this at-risk population perceives it has more favorable
alternatives to criminal activity.




3. FECHAC (Fundacion del Empresariado Chihuahuense, A.C.),
Chihuahua's leading private sector foundation, argues that
communities must focus their efforts at the primary school level to
have a chance of reversing this trend. World Bank research reveals
that intervening on behalf of children at younger ages leads to
better academic outcomes and lower incidence of criminal behavior
later on. Early intervention is also more cost-effective. One
area of particular concern for FECHAC is the lack of adult presence
and guidance at home for primary school-aged students in the hours
immediately after school. Classes at public primary schools in
Juarez begin at 8 a.m. and end at 1 p.m. FECHAC Executive Director
Karla Tarango estimates that more than one-third of primary school
students (6-12 years old) in Ciudad Juarez, or nearly 60,000
children, are unsupervised after school because their parents work.
Many of these students are children of single, working mothers. As
these students reach middle school many are either unable to meet
minimum grade requirements to continue on, or they do not perceive
the value of education and drop out. Chihuahua Secretary of
Education statistics reveal a dramatic drop in school attendance
rates in Juarez as students move from primary to middle school. In
2009, 91 percent of 12 year old children attended school, 68
percent of 14 year olds, and only 15 percent of 18 year olds.



FECHAC'S AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM (HORARIO EXTENDIDO)




4. To address youth violence and the education deficit in Juarez,
beginning in 2007 FECHAC partnered with the private sector, civil
society, and government to provide after-school programming for
primary school students. The Horario Extendido (Extended Schedule)

program provides homework tutoring, English and computer classes,
nutritional guidance and meals, gender violence prevention, as well
as recreational activities such as music, art, dance and sports to
more than 1,400 students in 11 schools in some of the city's
poorest neighborhoods. At a yearly cost of USD 230 per student,
the program complements Mexico's public education curriculum by
expanding classroom options for students and promoting learning and
life skills. The program also provides students a safe
after-school environment with adult supervision.




5. FECHAC funds the Horario Extendido program with support from
over 38,000 local business people who contribute 10 percent of
their state payroll tax to a FECHAC managed trust. FECHAC then
delivers these resources to NGOs that are responsible for program
delivery at public schools. Communities and parents have
significant authority over the program's design, financial
management, and assessment of student learning through parent
councils. Horario Extendido's demand-driven approach ensures that
the program reflects local priorities and values.




6. In the three years since Horario Extendido began, students
participating in the program have on average improved their grades
and increased school attendance. For instance, students involved
in the Ccompaz-managed program (Ccompaz being one of five NGOs
responsible for service delivery) increased their grade average by
eight points (from 78 to 86 percent). Student and parent surveys
indicate high levels of satisfaction with the program.



IMPACT OF AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS




7. After-school programs provide many benefits to students,
parents, and the community at-large. Evidence from similar
programs in Latin America, such as Brazil's Abrindo Espacos
(Opening Spaces) after-school program, illustrates these potential
benefits. Abrindo Espacos started in 2000 as a partnership between
UNESCO and local government to keep primary schools in the poorest
and most violent neighborhoods open after hours and during
weekends. According to a UNESCO study, communities with schools
participating in the program experienced as much as a 60 percent
reduction in juvenile violence. The program also increased student
performance and reduced the rates of sexual aggression, suicide,
substance abuse, theft, and armed robbery in participating
communities. Schools that entered the program earlier had greater
success, suggesting increased impact over time.



POTENTIAL TO SCALE-UP THE PROGRAM




8. Horario Extendido services less than one percent of the city's
180,000 primary school-aged students. The program's impact could
be enhanced through greater coverage and by extending hours to
include weekends. Resources from other sources could also be
provided to increase programmatic focus in the form of equipment
and training for information technology, English classes, and the
development of other marketable skills. Consideration may also be
given to extending the program to include middle and high school
students.



DESCRIPTION OF RECIPIENT ORGANIZATION




9. FECHAC was founded in 1996 as a partnership between the private
sector, civil society and government to address the Mexican state
of Chihuahua's development challenges. FECHAC manages resources
for development projects from a 10 percent voluntary state payroll
tax. The tax is collected by the state Secretariat of Finance and
deposited in a trust, which is managed by a 25-member technical
committee made up of 19 FECHAC board members, two representatives
appointed by the governor, two state legislators, and two mayors
named by the state congress. Since its inception, FECHAC has
raised and managed USD 95 million to support 1,944 social welfare
projects in the areas of education (50 percent of total resources),
health (42 percent) and social capital (8 percent).


10. FECHAC has a branch office in each of the nine largest cities
in Chihuahua. Each branch has a board comprised of 15 local
employers. Two members of each board serve on the statewide
technical committee, along with a board president chosen by FECHAC
members in a statewide vote. Board members are responsible for
reviewing each proposal submitted by NGOs and carrying out visits
to evaluate each project. Board members are involved in every
organizational aspect of the foundation, from creating its vision
to establishing the policies and procedures. FECHAC spends eight
percent of its budget on administrative and promotional expenses,
and publishes its annual financial statements, which are audited by
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, on its public website (
http://www.fechac.org/web/index.php).




11. FECHAC has worked with Mexico's Social Development Secretary,
the World Bank, and the Inter-American Development Bank. It has
received awards for innovative service delivery from national and
international organizations, including the United Nations.



GRANT FUNDED ACTIVITIES AND PERFORMANCE MEASURES




12. The Secretary's Office of Global Women's Issues Small Grants
Initiative will fund operation and human resources costs for after
school programming at five schools for 12 months, directly
benefitting 400 girls and boys. The activities will include:



* Homework tutoring

* English and computer classes

* Nutrition workshops and daily lunches for participants

* Gender violence prevention workshops with students and
parents

* Music, art, and dance classes

* Safe and supervised environment for sports, including
soccer and karate

* Workshops on developing values




13. The Center for Civil Society Strengthening (CFOSC) at the
Monterrey Technical Institute (ITESM),a leading Mexican
university, conducts surveys with parents, teachers, and students
participating in the program four times a year to measure student
progress and receive feedback on how to improve the program. CFOSC
shares survey information with FECHAC to measure student grade
performance, school attendance, and health indicators. Previous
survey information has revealed improvements in all of these
categories for students participating in FECHAC managed
after-school programs. CFOSC will conduct surveys at the five
S/GWI funded schools to measure the program's impact. Consulate
Officers will meet periodically with CFOSC and FECHAC to monitor
the program's advances.




14. BUDGET



--- Human resources costs (teachers and support staff): USD 60,833

--- Operation costs (workshops, meals, training, education material
and equipment, musical

instruments, school maintenance, and transportation): USD
38,916

--- Total: USD 99,749




15. POL/ECON Officer Ryan Reid, HYPERLINK "
mailto:reidrm@state.gov"reidrm@state.gov, will be the point of

contact for any questions regarding this grant proposal.
McGrath