Gente a favor de gente—People Helping People

Assessing a Child Development Intervention in Colonias in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico

Abstract

Ciudad Juárez (Chihuahua, Mexico) has recently been experiencing the effects of a worldwide economic recession and a wave of drug-related violence, making it a difficult environment in which to raise children. This paper focuses on the work of a local community group, Gente a favor de gente, related to a child development intervention in poor colonias (neighborhoods) in the city. Promotoras (community health workers) visited parents with children 0 to 3 years old and administered a pre-test of the child’s developmental age. Parents were then given an intervention that targeted their child’s developmental needs. After the intervention, the child was given a post-test to measure his/her developmental age to determine its usefulness. This field report explores the success of the intervention in improving children’s development. The analysis and discussion focus on how community groups can benefit underprivileged communities through interventions for children, with university support.