Daily Life at CIMA
Academic Studies
The majority of the children are enrolled in public schools in the area. Those with significant academic delays, very low educational levels, or severe behavioral problems continue their education directly at CIMA with the teachers from the Center for Alternative Basic Education (CEBA).
All children, whether enrolled in public schools or at CIMA, participate in leveling classes during the week.
These classrooms aim to:
ACADEMICALLY LEVEL THE CHILDREN
LITERACY for children who have not attended school
MOTIVATE AND DEVELOP A LOVE FOR STUDYING (through alternative educational methods with dynamics and drawings)
GUIDE AND SUPPORT
EDUCATE AND TRANSFER KNOWLEDGE
WORK ON VALUES (discipline, participation, equality within the group)
To work with children at different academic levels, the leveling teachers develop progressive modules adapted to each child's academic level.
Therapeutic and Occupational Workshops
Farming, carpentry, clothing and crafts, fabric painting, music, hydroponics, technical initiation, and computing. These activities take place from Monday to Friday. Children studying outside attend school in the morning and have leveling in the afternoon, so only children studying at CIMA participate in the workshops.
The workshops aim to:
HAVE A THERAPEUTIC FUNCTION. Through the workshops, discipline is learned and values are transmitted. Additionally, the workshops serve as occupational therapy, occupying the hands and minds of the children so that they do not have time to dwell on bad memories from their lives before CIMA.
ACQUIRE TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE. The workshops provide the children with technical training, which can serve as a basis for future work. Some children have decided to specialize in this area and have found employment.
VALORIZATION OF TALENTS. The workshops offer children the opportunity to develop their manual skills and discover their talents.
GENERATION OF OWN INCOME. The workshops help the institution economically in various ways:
generating products for internal consumption (agricultural activities)
generating products for sale (products from fabric painting, clothing and crafts, and beekeeping workshops)
performing home maintenance tasks.
Spiritual Life
Spiritual life plays an important role in the rehabilitation process of children and adolescents.
Although it is not mandatory to be of the Christian faith to enter CIMA, daily community prayers are required.
These moments are important in the life of the home, strengthening the personal development of the children, teaching values, and reinforcing cohesion among them.
Additionally, outings to church are organized on weekends.
Children who wish to do so receive preparatory talks for first communion or confirmation.
Recreational Activities
Sports are a significant activity for the personal development of children and adolescents. From Monday to Friday, they have a mandatory hour of sports, and football championships are organized on weekends.
Sports serve as therapy by channeling negative energies and allowing the detection of violent attitudes (physical aggression, verbal aggression, etc.) to then change them.
CIMA also has a well-equipped library with reference books, literary works, stories, and textbooks.
Both leveling and CEBA teachers use it every week.
Additionally, there are times for free reading during the week in the evenings and on weekends, during which children can have fun with board games and borrow books.
This activity encourages a love of reading as a tool for personal development.
Furthermore, educational or recreational activities are organized on weekends: informative talks and awareness workshops on health and sexuality, artistic activities, events such as celebrating the children's birthdays, the anniversary of CIMA, or the annual meeting of former residents, among others.
CIMA has also developed links with partner organizations (schools, student groups, associations) that offer specific activities to the children and support CIMA with financial or material donations.
Periodically, a "Talent Evening" is organized during which children and adolescents can demonstrate their skills in singing, music, poetry, drawings, dances, etc. This event is very important for strengthening the self-esteem of the children and adolescents.
Participation in Community Life
Community life implies that children participate in fulfilling certain tasks for the benefit of all. They are obliged to take care of the cleanliness and organization of their pavilion. In addition, they have mandatory hours in the kitchen and on the farm, cultivating the land and raising animals, activities that serve the home's consumption.
These tasks are part of the learning process for values of discipline and a hygienic lifestyle.
