Equipping children with skills for the future

Many street children have never had the opportunity to go to school. Some have been but very sporadically, and most have not attended long enough to achieve any qualifications. Most Toybox projects have an educational element to them. Some provide formal schooling (the El Castillo street school for example), others provide time and help with homework and school work, and others get involved in educational play, leaning games and play therapy.

Educational support is also part of Toybox prevention strategy (read more about prevention here). By including education in our prevention and high risk work, the likelihood that children will migrate to the streets is reduced – not only because education provides them with something they can work for and enjoy, but also because if they are occupied with learning and doing their school work, they will be spending less time out on the streets with nothing to do.

In most Latin American countries, children attend school either in the morning or in the afternoon. As most parents work full time, the children find themselves alone at home when they aren’t at school, often resulting in the children ending up spending lots of time on the street. Many network projects provide support for children in the afternoons when they aren't at school (or vice versa depending on whether they attend school in the mornings or afternoons), offering homework support and a place to come and study instead of being alone at home.

Go back to: What We Do
Go on to: Family Reintegration - Homes

By providing the means to achieve a qualification, the children are equipped with the tools they need for future opportunities – a secure job and strong vocational prospects as well as core life skills.

“Now I have the opportunity to study, to study a career. I want to help other children like I have been helped here.” Rosalia, Bolivia

“I have learned to know God. I am going to school. A long time ago, I had to leave school to work in the streets for money. Now I am happy to continue with my studies and I really feel very happy here.” Kenys, Peru