“I didn’t go to the health center because it took a long time, and on top of that they treated me badly,” recounted a Quechua woman in the town of Oruro, Bolivia. “We have our own customs for childbirth”. She is not alone in those views. According to a recent national survey, the main reason why women avoid prenatal care is distrust of health personnel (26 percent). … [Read more...] about The Juana Azurduy Voucher Program: health services for mothers and their children
Inter-American Development Bank
How important math is in preschool
As part of a lesson on quantities, a group of five-year-olds in Huancavelica, Peru, was asked, “If you have three candies and I have six, what is that?” The expected answer was something along the lines of “more” or “less,” but after a moment of contemplation, a student responded, “Unfair.” These preschoolers are part of a new bilingual preschool program called Mimate … [Read more...] about How important math is in preschool
Cerrando Brechas: good teachers matter for kindergarten success
What makes a teacher a good teacher? Although teachers are mostly selected according to what is showcased in their curriculum vitae, those credentials are not what matters most, according to Cerrando Brechas (Closing Gaps), a multi-year study to measure the effects of better teachers on child learning in the first years of elementary school carried out by the government of … [Read more...] about Cerrando Brechas: good teachers matter for kindergarten success
Using job training to prevent teen pregnancy in the Dominican Republic
Greater self-esteem and opportunities can reduce the risk of teenage pregnancy. That is a lesson of a job training program advanced by the Youth and Employment Program in the Dominican Republic. The country has the highest rate of teenage pregnancy in Latin America and the Caribbean, with 104 births per 1,000 people between the ages of 15 and 19, almost equal to that of the … [Read more...] about Using job training to prevent teen pregnancy in the Dominican Republic
Data transparency as a development effectiveness tool
by Erin Bautista and Tracy Betts. Each year, international development institutions channel billions of dollars into development projects around the world. Is the money well spent? Does it produce the desired results? While many development providers publish project details through their own websites and reports, finding consolidated information on which … [Read more...] about Data transparency as a development effectiveness tool