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Paraguay: programs & priorities

ChildFund Australia's affiliate organisation in Paraguay works in partnership with six different organisations in 24 different programs throughout the country.

Improving the health of children in Paraguay is a major focus of our work, and ChildFund in Paraguay has conducted an extensive immunisation program, as well as providing anti parasitism treatment and complementary vitamins to children.

To combat poor levels of nutrition, children in ChildFund in Paraguay's program areas benefit from specially designed nutritional snacks at school, or lunch at a local community centre. Dental treatment is also made available.

ChildFund in Paraguay also offers community members a micro-development enterprise, which is designed to provide training in micro-enterprise skills and credit loans. The majority of participants in ChildFund's program are females, and over the last year almost 1,000 adults have received computer training or taken part in skills training courses.

Water and sanitation products are also a priority, and ChildFund in Paraguay is involved in constructing sanitary latrines, harvesting rain water, and raising awareness about sanitation.

Development in progress

ChildFund in Paraguay helps local communities identify their needs, and then work with them to see what resources are available locally. As is often the case, there may be a lot of manpower in the communities we assist, but few materials and required skill sets. ChildFund in Paraguay's approach is to allocate responsibility to the community for providing the land and labour, and we fund the materials.

In the last year, 10 community centres have been built in a joint effort by public institutions, community members, and with ChildFund in Paraguay's support. In addition, two playrooms and a library were established at two community centres.

Community working groups have also been established to ensure future development. This includes 25 parent committees, which were formed and strengthened at the community level, as well as 14 youth groups.