Ever since the publication of Pobresa, ban atak’é (1999) Reda Sosial has been running twelve small-scale anti-poverty programs in six deprived neighbourhoods on Curaçao, being: Soto, Kanga/Dein, Berg Altena and surroundings, Seru Grandi/Fuik, Rooi Santu, Otrobanda. These programs are aimed at improvement of the physical infrastructure (housing, roads etc) and specific supportive activities like literacy and budgeting courses and teaching parental skills.
In accordance with the Island Territory Council of Curaçao, St. Jago was selected as pilot-neighbourhood to execute an integrated neighbourhood development program in 2001.
Make-over of the neighbourhood St. Jago, Curaçao
1999 2004
In Atakando Pobresa (2003) Reda Sosial argues again the importance of integrated neighbourhood development. Reducing poverty solely through infrastructure improvements is not enough according to Reda Sosial. It should go hand in hand with Human Capital Investment i.e. investing in people. The main themes within integrated neighbourhood development are the liveable, working, learning and healthy neighbourhood.
The concept “liveable neighbourhood” is a rather comprehensive one. It refers to both the quality of the environment as the quality of life of the individual which are interrelated. The moment the environment has a negative influence on the mental and physical being of inhabitants, this also effects the labour productivity, the school efforts of children, the safety in the neighbourhood and the social behaviour of people.
Therefore, investing in the environment forms an important contribution to the improvement of the socio-economic situation of the neighbourhood.
However, investing in the liveable and working neighbourhood is not enough guarantee for an overall improvement of the situation in deprived neighbourhoods. At the same time the attention should go out to the learning and healthy neighbourhood by ways of programs designed for the elderly, adults and children.
Reducing poverty is a continuous process and needs guaranteed sufficient means. Because of limited funds Reda Sosial only spent 4 million ANG on behalf of poverty programs in the period between 2001 and 2004.
In accordance with the Urgency Program Combating Poverty in the Netherlands Antilles ( July 2004- January 2006) both the Government of the Netherlands Antilles as the Government of the Netherlands have donated an amount of 5 million ANG to execute the integrated neighborhood development program by Reda Sosial.