Walking from house to house to prevent school dropout: the story of the NGO El Arca and its fight for children’s rights

By Paula Galinsky

El Arca has 23 years of history. This civil association began operating in the City of Buenos Aires, Argentina, with the creation of a home to shelter and support children living on the streets. The project, which had Betina Perona as one of its three founders and current president, evolved over time.

As time went on, they shifted the focus of the proposal to Moreno, in the Province of Buenos Aires, and finally concentrated on the families in the Cuartel V neighborhood in Los Hornos. “Our goal became to prevent more children from ending up on the streets, so we decided to offer them comprehensive help”, Betina tells Lupa do Bem.

The work is daily and meticulous, with one of the main points being to ensure the rights of children and teenagers. They collaborate in literacy and seek to prevent school dropout. In total, the NGO impacts the lives of 5,000 children in the region.

Their work includes visiting homes to find children who are not attending school. “We have a multidisciplinary team consisting of psychologists, sociologists, teachers, education professionals, and a lawyer, who is me” details the president of the NGO.

And she explains: “There are cases of violence, others of difficulties in getting to school (due to the state of the streets or the cost of transportation). We also come across situations where children need to stay home to take care of their younger siblings. We try to identify their difficulties and collaborate to resolve them and get the child back to school.”

It’s not always possible, but that’s what they are dedicated to. One of their pillars is related to education, and in this path, they monitor the schooling of 750 children attending elementary and middle school. They also offer a literacy classroom, considering that some children who have moved on to third grade still cannot read or write.

That’s not all. Additionally, they have virtual school support, through which volunteers from across the country have passed, and now includes university interns. “They are available once a week to answer questions and follow up with each child,” Betina comments and ensures that, in most cases, this contact is by phone.

El Arca also has meeting points, which are spaces at the school gates where NGO representatives dedicate their time to advising children and their families on rights. “The idea is that they can consult us or ask for help. We also lend books and toys for them to take home”, she adds.

On Saturday afternoons, every 15 days, they add a playroom and a mobile classroom. They also have a soccer school.

The proposal includes an area of citizen participation. They collaborate in the formation of classroom councils in different schools to resolve conflicts that may arise within the school, and they also develop territorial councils in which children bring the neighborhood’s needs so that they can later reach local officials. “Topics such as the lack of street lighting or the request for a square for the neighborhood are addressed”, comments Betina.

“Cuartel V is a very extensive area where people live in situations of great vulnerability. Moreno, on the other hand, is one of the poorest places in the Province of Buenos Aires,” emphasizes Betina, confirming that there are many unmet needs and that the role of organizations working in the territory is essential.

They are funded through sponsorship: people who provide a monthly solidarity contribution. “Currently, we have 1,100 sponsors who take care of a child from the neighborhood. We periodically send information about their godchild’s school situation and they can also visit them”, points out Betina, who says that it would be very helpful to add more and more collaborators.

To become a sponsor of El Arca, you can visit www.elarca.org.ar.