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Roblealto is rewarded with the "Marci Award" |
Last
November 2004, Magally Zamora, Director at the Roblealto Bible Home,
traveled to Campinas, Sao Paulo in Brazil to participate in the “Church
and Childhood Encounter” organized by the Together for Children
Movement and also in the Viva Network Latin America Training. During
the activity, Roblealto was rewarded with the Marci Award, for the systematized
presentation of the “Model of Direct Attention, with emphasis
in the area of attention to children on the daily living basis at the
Bible Home.”
The project, presented as an innovative practice was denominated: “A
Residential Attention Model: “Five atmospheres to promote the
Rights and the Integral Development of boys and girls”
It was a blessing to count with external help to make this trip possible.
Also the Marci Award Foundation donated the airplane ticket and a monetary
donation to Roblealto.
Thanks to the participation at the “Church and Childhood Encounter”,
we could extend the vision of the actual situation of childhood in the
region, we shares some of the experiences related to the attention of
the children at social risk, we were made aware and learned of other
efforts of the Caribbean and Latin-American region, and also we were
able to promote our programs, establishing contacts and other resources.
Some of the objectives of this “Encounter” were:
- To learn of the real situation
of childhood in Latin America and the successful methodological
answers that have resulted from the response of Christian organizations.
The Ceremony for the Marci Award was included at this time.
- To learn of positive and negative
experiences in the development of attention programs and protection
of children at social risk.
- To try to get local and national
networks already formed, to raise the synergy between their members
and that it might direct the integrated national efforts for childhood
in general, and for the one at social risk to be treated as national
priority.
- To declare 2006 as
the Latin American Year of Childhood and Church.
What is the Viva Network?
It is a global Christian movement deeply concerned for childhood at
social risk and committed so that every single boy and girl will have
the opportunity to be everything that God wants them to be.
As objectives of the Viva Network we found: to improve the quality of
attention to children, helping each other to get appropriate excellency
standards; to increase the action on account of the children, motivating
and equipping an effective response; to influence in the decisions making
by being an effective and powerful voice to promote justice for children
at social risk.
Viva Network links many people and organizations all over the world
through the establishment of local nets, national collaborations, thematic
forums, and becoming international associates.
The Roblealto Child Care Association has participated at Viva Network
Costa Rica thru Magally Zamora (Director at the Bible Home) as part
of the Board of Directors during 2002-2003. She has also cooperated
with Viva Network Latin America with various publications on the Reaching
Childhood at Social Risk magazine, one of the services they offer.
What are the Marci Awards?
The
Marci Awards are given by the Moore Fiduciary Foundation, that stimulates
the efforts of people or institutions that work with projects focused
on the children at social risk. This recognition is given on behalf of
Marci Gulbransen, who was a young lady that dedicated her life to the
service of children in difficult conditions. She died very young, at 23,
so her family through this foundation, tried to keep her call and ministry,
motivating others in this labor and awarding successful projects.
For 2004, 26 projects from different countries of the region participated
, and 3 were rewarded: The Roblealto Child Care Association from Costa
Rica, Educational Beneficence Association of Valley of the Blessings from
Brazil and the King’s Castle Child – Youth Ministry
from Cuba.
What is the “Together
for Children” Movement?
The Together for Children movement has its origin in past actions of
the Evangelic church, where the Latin America Evangelization Congress
(CLADE), the Regional Consultation and the Leadership of some agencies
that have been having regional actions to give a wide and integral answer
to the children’s situation stands out.
Through the Movement, they seek to create a neutral dialogue space and
a united work platform, that might unite the Evangelical Church around
the childhood and adolescence topic with a shared vision, a growing
and articulated answer to the critic situation faced by the childhood
at social risk.
We are very happy to have received this award for the work we do a team.
We have great expectations in the future and we trust that our effort
will fructify on all the children’s lives that we assist.
