ARCA is fully involved in capacity-building and offers courses, both for ARCA staff members and for children and their parents in the districts where ARCA operates. The young adults at the surf school, for example, learned kite surfing last year and are now using this knowledge to teach tourists. In child-rearing, workshops for parents are offered to enhance the parental role.

Method

ARCA's method is generally as follows:

First stage - three studies are conducted at the start of a project:

• one to demonstrate the needs and opportunities for a project within a slum neighbourhood
• one to explore opportunities for cultivating foundations for the project
• and one to assess the initial situation in the areas where the project is expected to contribute.

Second stage: getting the project off the ground

Third stage:

• educating assistant sports trainers, young adults from the neighbourhood who attend a course with a view toward teaching these classes in the neighbourhood themselves later on
• setting up courses to improve the employment prospects of young adults; remaining involved in sports is compulsory
• forming child-rearing support centres to advise parents about issues related to raising their children
• working with the schools to remain abreast of the school performance of the children and young adults.

In this overall context, the principle of development with the community prevails over the principle of development for the community.

Additional information and contact data appear on www.todos.nl and www.arcafortaleza.org.br