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