AN IDEA

In April of 2004, the second generation of students completed the graduate program ‘Rights and Needs of Children’ at the ITESO University in Guadalajara. As a final project, one group of students presented their dream of developing a nonprofit organization dedicated to children’s rights. The idea was to be a group of professionals, from different sectors of government and private social services, devoted to the promotion and protection of children’s rights.

A PROJECT

Towards the end of 2004, the collective’s work started in the field of child advocacy. CODENI worked to publicize cases of children’s rights violations and speak out against child abuse. The collective began to organize their efforts and invite other to collaborate in the project.

CODENI BEGINS WORKING DIRECTLY WITH STREET CHILDREN

In January of 2005, Danielle Strickland joined the team to coordinator the area of education. She brought to CODENI a street outreach project with child laborers in the historic downtown of Guadalajara. At that time the project aided 8 children on a daily basis with homework tutoring, basic literacy, recreational activities and family support. Little by little more volunteers joined the project, making it possible to reach more street children and their families.

THE STRENGTHENING OF AN ORGANIZATION

CODENI was legally established as a nonprofit organization on September 8, 2005. In 2006 the project received its first grant from the national government program “De la Calle a la Vida.” The funding enabled CODENI to increases its activities by adding workshops, field trips, family events, and a soccer team.
Today the project assists more than 100 children and adolescents with daily educational and recreational activities in Iberoamericana Octavio Paz library, a soccer team, social services, counseling, psychological attention, educational scholarships and monthly food baskets. CODENI has grown to become a renowned local center dedicated to advocacy, education and research, committed to improving the lives of Guadalajara’s street children.