After last weeks readings in our course resources, I became fascinated about the Pastoral del Nino program in Paraguay. This week I followed up with more research into the program and what it really stood for and what it attempts to accomplish. I was fascinated to find out that this program really focuses on helping people to realize that they have something important to offer their children and realizing their own potential as parents. Another thing that I found really interesting was that the program really runs on the backs of volunteers who help to educate people in this rural part of Paraguay and it really focused on the resources that they had and there wasn't such a focus on trying to gain more funding or more resources and in a lot of ways this really touched me because I felt that a lot of times we spend more time worrying about what our programs don't have and all the things that if we had them would make our programs better but this one does the complete opposite. It focuses on what these people have to offer as individuals, as parents who have experienced the benefits of the program and can pass down that knowledge to the next group of new parents and it is amazing to see how this program really comes together.
In researching more about this program, I also came across another Pastoral del Nino that takes place in Brazil and am currently reading more about that program although the website I believe is mostly in Portuguese, I was able to find an article that was in English so that I could read more about the program. Again, as we study this week about how demographics can change and can really help us as educators realize we need to evolve, looking at programs such as these makes me more passionate about how to really eliminate the language barriers that exist in my own community and really bar me from gaining information about other communities around the world. It is very important to me to be able to not only learn about the culture of education around the world but to also be able to communicate with other people in order to learn more about them.
Below, I have included a link to the English article that I was able to obtain about the Pastoral del Nino program in Brazil and hopefully these things inspire others that are interested in the same subject and maybe some others who never had the opportunity to be exposed to these issues.
http://si.pastoraldacrianca.org.br/pastcri-dev/arquivos_genericos/portal/PI-ingles-miolo.pdf
Stuart, J. M., Berghout Austin, A. M., Peairson, S., de Aquino, C., & de Burró, E. (2010). Fostering Child Development through Empowerment, Unity, and Cooperation. YC: Young Children, 65(6), 32-37.
I really like your comment that many times we focus on what the programs don't have, not what they do have. I have not thought of it like that. But I do agree that this is very true. I also was very impressed with the Pastoral del Nino program in Paraguay. I think its a great model for other countries, including the United States.
ReplyDeleteI really like how the program focuses on the importance of children and the potential that parents can bring for their children. Your post has really caught my attention and I plan to look deeper into this site as well. It is great that they rely on the funding that they have and not on the funding that they hope to achieve. Especially during these times of hardship it is great to know that there is an organization out there that is relying on what they have and not focused on the money aspect of things.
ReplyDeleteThis program sounds facinating, it is amazing what people can do for others just by giving our time and efforts. The focus of the Pastoral on helping families realize their own potential and gifts is a wholistic approach to making a better life for themselves and their children. You are so right when you said we need to evolve as educators to meet the needs of the communities we serve.
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