Antonio was contacted by JUCONI four years ago when he was nine years old and was working on a bus. He lived with his parents and five brothers in a small house located in one of the neighbourhoods with the highest rate of violence in the city of Guayaquil.

Antonio had to work to contribute financially to the household, because his father did not have a regular job and his mother was unemployed. When JUCONI started working with Antonio’s parents, it became clear that his father was putting a lot of pressure on his son to help the family and to achieve good grades at school. When this did not happen, Antonio’s father resorted to physical punishment and his mother was not able to protect Antonio or her other children. This resulted in Antonio becoming defensive and more aggressive towards his classmates and friends in the neighbourhood. 

It took a little more than three years for the family to progress through the JUCONI intervention programme. Antonio stopped working and his attendance and progression at school improved considerably. The violence at home has ceased and his parents have become more affectionate towards their children. They now also monitor their progress more closely at school.

As part of being on the programme, Antonio was encouraged to participate in the activities taking place in the shared play spaces set up by JUCONI. In these spaces he learned to play a variety of games that encouraged him to reflect on his behaviour by respecting rules and showing more consideration for others. The relationship between him and his father has improved and they spend more time together at weekends.