A Primeira Infância Vem Primeiro Program We carry out actions aimed at small children via the A Primeira Infância Vem Primeiro Program because we believe and defend the concept that early childhood is a unique and precious phase in life, in which the neural pathways are formed that ensure full human intellectual, psychological and social development, using stimulation and interaction with appropriate environments. The aim of the Program is to contribute to the effective application of the rights to education, healthcare and protection of small children.
and the public authorities to seek solutions for the lack of crèches in this country. All of these articulators are the representatives of Forums, social movements, foundations, unions, companies, boards, universities, social organizations and research centers. “To be an articulator for Fundação Abrinq in the state of Pará is the pinnacle for a social entrepreneur. It is the provision of opportunities and life quality to underprivileged children in our State”, says Saphyra Ruffeil, regional articulator.
Creche para Todas as Crianças Project
Another important articulator for the Project is Tortuga Cia. Zootécnica Agrária, which has been an Empresa Amiga da Criança for the last six years. By way of its institute, this company made two important donations in 2008 to the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, which made it possible to refurbish and expand crèches — in Maracaju, the expansion was of 36 places at the CIEI São Benedito crèche and in Rio Brilhante the increase was by 45 places at the CEI Sonia Borges Silveira crèche. In 2009, the Instituto Tortuga also made donations to the Municipal Fund for Child and Adolescent Rights, which will make it possible to expand CEI Dalphina crèche in Maracaju.
One of the main challenges regarding early child is to increase access and improve the quality of the services in crèches, a right that historically has been denied to children and their families. For this reason, in the aim of mobilizing the public authorities and the private sector toward the construction and improvement of crèches, with appropriate infrastructure for children from 0 to 3 years of age, we have been carrying out the Creche para Todas as Crianças project since 2007. This initiative by Fundação Abrinq, in partnership with the C&A Institute, seeks the support of private enterprise and civilian social organizations to contribute, together with the public authorities, in the construction, expansion, renovation and equipping of crèches and in the training of staff for the same. The Project operates in partnership with 70 regional articulators, in 24 Brazilian states, whom work voluntarily within their regions in conjunction with strategic social sectors. They also carry out articulation with entrepreneurs
The first half of 2009 gave rise to the publication entitled “Um Município para as Crianças” (A Town for the Children), which was a contribution to the Project directed at the local municipal authorities to help them formulate, implement and perfect the policies for early childhood. “The partnership with Fundação Abrinq has come to show us how important it is for our children to look after their teeth and for that reason
there needs to be a place for them to go. This project has favored them by guaranteeing their rights and thereby preserving the most beautiful possession a child has which is their smile”, says Myriam Freitas, coordinator of the Centro de Educação Integral Mamãe Margarida (Ciemma). Myriam is referring to the initiative that forms part of the Creche para Todas as Crianças project, the Sorriso Solidário project (Solidary Smile), launched in May by the dental services cooperative, Uniodonto Belém. The project guarantees dental treatment for 185 children via installations at the Centro de Educação Integral Mamãe Margarida school located in the municipal district of Ananindeuá (PA). Besides the project for oral healthcare, revitalization was carried out at the crèche, which made it possible to create a mini-park, to equip the infirmary and the reading room, including the furniture, and to put on events in the areas of culture and leisure. These initiatives were supported by the mayor’s office, which assumed the cost of four new educators for the crèche. Articulators from the municipal districts of Mesquita, Duque de Caxias, São Gonçalo and São João de Meriti, in the State of Rio de Janeiro, drew up a plan of action that included the mapping of needs and the next actions to be carried out. The project team also got together this year with the Departments of Education and Social Services to gather data regarding the situation of child education and crèches in the region, taking into consideration the low rates of school attendance in the coastal areas of Rio de Janeiro State.
From left to right: Priscila Fernandes, coordinator of Child Education from C&A Institute, Maria Aparecida Salmaze, chairwoman of OMEP Brazil and articulator of the project, professor Ordália Alves de Almeida from the Department of Education of the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul and Amélia Bampi, technical assistant from Fundação Abrinq
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