Why a project with NATs?

In ten years experiencing child labor in Huamachuco, we at Marcelino Pan y Vino, have witnessed the difficulties NATs have to face in building their own identities, searching a meaning of life, and protecting themselves by dealing daily with a situation of indigence and a social conditions of “marginalisation”.

Every story of life has proved the complex world of child labor. We welcome NATs choice of working rather than begging or turning into criminals, proving they can decide to fight against their living conditions through work, bringing a new hope to their lives despite all odds. We want to empower this choice.

Very often, as victims of exploitation and abuse, NATs lose their rights not only on the streets, but also inside their own homes. At the beginning of the project with NATs, 60% of them wouldn’t attend school because solving their families daily survival issues was more important and urgent than getting a proper education. However, NATs have proved to be strong and skilled enough to deal with work and school at the same time, allowing them to improve their living conditions and survive not only with their parents support. Working children and teenagers have scarce possibilities to find places where they can think and get a deeper knowledge. Neither the school nor the family are suited to feed their learning needs for an integral life. As educators at Marcelino Pan y Vino, we live our choice with passion and a great emotional discharge, which has lead to the creation of pedagogic alternatives that allow us to help NATs with their difficult, but extremely important process of personal and social growth. Working shoulder to shoulder the goal is to stand by those children who despite their early ages, lack of opportunities, and poverty, have chosen life.