JRI enters into a partnership with the Institute of Cape Verdean Children and Adolescents (ICCAA)
1/6/2012
In a signing ceremony in Paraia, the capital of the Republic of Cape Verde, JRI entered into a formalized, codified partnership with the Institute of Cape Verdean Children and Adolescents.
Andy Pond President of JRI, Janira Hopffer Almada - Minister of Youth Cape Verde, Marilena Baessa - President of ICCA
On January 6th 2012 on a warm afternoon in Praia the capital of the Republic of Cape Verde, Justice Resource Institute (JRI) President Andy Pond, entered into a formalized, codified partnership with the Institute of Cape Verdean Children and Adolescents (ICCA) and its President Marilena Baessa.
The signing ceremony was presided over by the Minister of Youth, Janira Hopffer Almada, who made an impassioned speech endorsing the JRI - ICCA relationship as a model for all future partnerships in Cape Verde. She highlighted both parties appreciation of cross cultural differences and dedication to bi- directional learning.
The agreement focused on JRI's creation of the Cape Verde Children's Coalition (CVCC). This official JRI program was created to help support ICCA in Cape Verde. More specifically, the agreement laid the ground work for JRI to establish a pilot program inside of a currently operational residential facility housing abandoned, neglected, and abused boys in the city of Mindelo on the island of Sao Vicente.
JRI and ICCA's goal is to improve the conditions inside this center and help create sustainable systems and programming, which could be replicated across all islands of Cape Verde. This partnership continues JRI's mission to work in partnership with governments locally, nationally, and internationally.
JRI has a deep connection to Cape Verdeans in New England with a history of serving and employing members of the community. For JRI, this project represents an opportunity to disseminate our institutional knowledge internationally and build capacity in the Cape Verdean islands. In the weeks to come, JRI will be launching a web page to educate and promote our Cape Verde initiative. With further questions please contact the CVCC Project Manager, David Nadelman at dnadelman@jri.org.
