The Los Rosales learning space in Uruguay offers training and development opportunities for girls in Montevideo, the country’s capital
Comprehensive education specifically geared to girls, young and adult women in disadvantaged situations with a view to achieving a more equitable society that does not exclude female talent
Current Project
In Casavalle, a neighborhood within Montevideo, more than 13,600 people live in informal settlements, of whom some 7,800 are children and young people under 24 years of age. With unfavorable family conditions, where the majority of adults have no education, 68.9% of Casavalle’s minors do not complete their studies, the highest percentage in the country. With no jobs and no schooling, these young people are cannon fodder in critically violent situations, whether within their own homes, through bullying during their school years, or even related to organized crime, which often uses these adolescents and young people as a way to commit crimes.
The Fundación Los Rosales Educational Center works to ensure that young people finish their studies and have access to employment. The individual monitoring of each adolescent and an understanding of their family situation generates the best possible basis for them to work on their self-development, consolidate their self-esteem and boost their social skills.
Social context of the educational project
Around 80,000 people live in Casavalle in 23,481 very low-income households, making up 6% of Montevideo’s inhabitants. It is one of the most vulnerable and precarious areas of Montevideo. The people in this area tend not to finish their schooling, which is why one of the goals of the socio-educational project is to motivate and encourage the population to continue their development until they are able to complete their tertiary education. The interventions are cross-cutting and address issues that are often brought to light by the families who come to Los Rosales, such as domestic violence prevention and care and conflict prevention in the educational and community spheres.
Goal of the educational space in Uruguay
Los Rosales is committed to comprehensive education. This is fundamental to the full development of every individual and takes on special importance in vulnerable contexts, as is the case of women in disadvantaged situations. To this end, the center has a team of technicians, teachers and educators who strive to support and reinforce the learning acquired by the girls in the educational institutions to which they belong. In addition, they are offered the opportunity to play sports, take part in theatrical productions, dance, learn English, do handicrafts, attend recreational and cultural events, and participate in computer workshops.
The aim is to provide girls with new opportunities, giving them the chance to engage in activities to which they may not have access in other areas. These are tools that allow education and fun to be balanced and complement one another, an aspect that is so important in the child development.