Foundation for Children and Adolescents (FUNAC) - Brazil

The project uses three strategies: Training in the culture, entertainment activities, and identity of black children; implementation of educational and informational activities about black children's development; and training in the dissemination of "brinqueidotecas" (festivals) and operation of community radio.

More specifically, the mobile brinqueidotecas are organised around two themes: House of Happiness and Beauty of Black Children. Through the use of entertainment activities, these brinqueidotecas explore factors such as self-esteem, creativity, humor, autonomy, and ethnic-racial identity. Activities promote reinforcement of black identity through cultural values, cultural symbols, food habits, health habits, music, dance, theatre, aesthetics, spirituality, and language, all of which are common to the black community.

The project works with existing community radio stations, or helps to establish them, to disseminate and information about child development, resiliency, ethnic and racial identity of black families, history and reality of blacks, and black culture. Audience groups are encouraged to listen to programmes that have been produced at the national or local level for black communities. FUNAC promotes brinqueidotecas through community radios to encourage participation of black families. In addition, families are encouraged to start alternative projects such as production of black dolls.

Children, Youth, Cultural Identity.

Between 1996 and 2000 the project reached 8,640 children. One hundred twelve families participated in the brinqueidotecas; 49 adolescents and 20 mothers were trained to act as facilitators. Evaluation methods were primarily qualitative: a participatory approach was used during and after sessions.

These results suggest that the programme has met its goal of empowering children, adolescents, and families to express solidarity, cooperation, and respect for the cultural, religious, health, and identity issues of blacks. The community has become an active participant in the production of community radio programmes, and alternative projects such as the making of black dolls are continuing. At the quantitative level, 54.08% of 129 children reached between December 1999 and March 2000 showed an increase in their levels of positive self-esteem.