CEFOCINE

CEFOCINE strives to solve social problems through cinema, video, and radio. It works with gangs, shantytown schools, and in the street, teaching film criticism and filmmaking. Though the work is based on visual media, the goal is always the personal transformation of boys and girls.

The program begins by diagnosing the problems of the neighborhood where CEFOCINE hopes to work. It looks for the communities’ strengths and the opportunities for youth, and then considers community weaknesses and dangers that might threaten the educators. Next, they invite all the kids in the neighborhood to “motivation workshops:” generally dance or martial arts classes. These workshops gel into social groups, at which point CEFOCINE begins to teach them about movies.

Each neighborhood group comes to have its own identity. Some chose a t-shirt or hat that all of them will wear, while others organize around a common project. The groups make films and submit them to national contests, but they also do work in the community: trash pickups, education, peacemaking between rival gangs, etc.

Some of CEFOCINE’s most successful work has been with gangs. The educators have tried to recover the good sense of “gang,” insisting that it is just a group of young people, that can engage in good activities as well as criminal ones. The problem, they say, is that adults diagnose all gangs as evil, so a group of teens who gather to listen to music will soon be condemned as gangsters. The kids say, “Well, if they are going to hate us anyway, why don’t we just sell drugs?” Gangs become violent because that’s what adults fear and expect.

CEFOCINE brings other options for gangs. When they learn about film and video, the gangs can have another identity and another occupation. This model has had wonderful results.

Sexuality is an important subject for teens in Guayaquil, so CEFOCINE trains peer educators in sex education, STDs. pregnancy, birth control, and relationships. The program, called “De Joven a Joven,” is similar to the Mexican program with the same name.

Film criticism includes the critique of other media that speak to and about youth. Educators have seen that kids often believe that “TV is real, and life is imaginary,” believing the media more than they believe their own experience. CEFOCINE teaches how the media distort the truth, and how kids must learn to trust their own eyes.

The success of CEFOCINE is evident in its personal. Most of the educators have graduated from the project; they are strong leaders and well trained in film.

CEFOCINE’s work has opened up fundraising possibilities. Educators make propaganda films for different businesses, communities, NGOs, and government, which has come to be a real business. The program also makes much of its budget by giving trainings for other programs.

CEFOCINE
Oficina Norte/Fundación Huancavilca: Coop. 29 de Abril
Avenida 5ta. Y calle 1ra.
Guayaquil, Ecuador

Oficina Centra/Movimiento de Niños, Niñas, y Adolescentes:
Quisquís 1308A entre Esmeraldas y Los Ríos.
Guayaquil, Ecuador

Telefax de la Oficina Norte: (04)2252-864,
de la Oficina Centro: (04)6003-625 

contactos: Marivel Ruiz o Rafael Carriel,  coordinacion@cefocine.org
proyectos@ecuadortelecom.com
cefocine@cefocine.org

http://cefocine.org/