Cartoneros y sus Chicos - Jacobs Foundation

For more than 25 years, the Jacobs Foundation has devoted itself to promoting child and youth development all over the world. We provide various kinds of support for individuals and institutions active in research and practice, and we also operate our own programs. With the complex social changes takin g place in the world today, education is becoming increasingly important for success in life. Through our activities, we identify important issues and societal needs and work with our partners to find innovative ways to facilitate social change and produce lasting impacts. Our projects in Switzerland and Germany focus primarily on early childhood.

Cartoneros y sus Chicos: Under the leadership of Renata Jacobs, Cartoneros y sus Chicos has set the goal of enabling the Cartoneros and their children to live better lives and look forward to a brighter future. With this in mind, Cartoneros y sus Chicos is focusing on the Cartoneros of the "Madreselvas" cooperative, who live in the Municipality of Pilar in Buenos Aires. One aspect of their work is the educational support given to children and teenagers in the form of private tuition and material donations such as computers, books and writing materials. Extra-curricular activities, supervised by the teachers, are offered as well. Health and hygiene are also important issues. Local support has helped to raise awareness of the importance of dental hygiene in both children and adults. The children also receive nutritionally enriched cereal bars and a warm meal at school. They are taught how to approach food and nutrition and learn about the importance of a balanced diet. But this is only the start. We fully realize that further efforts must still be made to improve their quality of life.