About us
At ID4Children we drive initiatives that connect children and young people from different backgrounds, fostering bonds, opportunities and shared experiences.
We believe integration is built through active participation, mutual recognition and working together with communities.
Purpose
What drives us today and the horizon we are working towards.
Today
To promote the social integration and sense of belonging of children and young people, especially those affected by migration, through participatory programmes that use sport, education and support as tools for connection and development.
Horizon
To help build inclusive communities where all children and young people have real opportunities to take part, develop their abilities and feel they belong, regardless of their origin or background.
Objectives
Four objectives that guide every initiative we develop.
To create spaces where people from different backgrounds and realities can meet.
To promote integration through sport, participation and shared learning.
To strengthen collaboration networks between organisations, institutions and communities.
To drive sustainable initiatives that can be replicated in different contexts.
Pillars
We see integration as a collective process built through bonds, opportunities and shared experiences. Tap each pillar to learn more.
We strengthen bonds between children, young people, families, institutions and communities, creating networks of connection, support and belonging.
We make sure children and young people have real spaces to express their views, share experiences and contribute to the initiatives that concern them.
We foster opportunities for learning, exchange and skills development that support autonomy and social inclusion.
We promote safe environments and experiences that support the physical, emotional and social wellbeing of participants.
We create spaces for connection through sport, play and cultural expression as tools for sharing, cooperating and building bonds.
Who we are
Behind our work is a team combining different backgrounds, experiences and skills. This diversity allows us to tackle challenges from different perspectives and turn ideas into concrete projects.
Meet our team:
Maria Candelaria Araoz
President
Physician, specialist in public health and international health.
Maria Victoria Araoz
Vice-President
Specialist in gender, international relations and human rights.
Fernanda Almada
Communications
Specialist in strategic communication and knowledge management.
Julie Issa
Adviser
Specialist in managing and implementing social development projects.
Carola Aráoz
Programmes
Political scientist, specialist in public policy and gender equality.
María Belén Martellotto
Junior Research Assistant
Political Science student, focusing on human rights and inclusion.
Valentino Rosales
Field coordination
International Relations student, interested in social integration.
Federico Cantone
Technology and innovation
Specialist in information systems, web development and data analysis.
Photos and biographies of the rest of the team will be added as they become available.
Governance and transparency
Institutional strength is what allows every contribution to become real, verifiable impact.
ID4Children is a non-profit association founded in Geneva, Switzerland. Its work rests on an institutional structure, governance mechanisms and a commitment to transparency, collaboration and social responsibility. It works in complementarity with public policies and existing structures in integration, child protection, education and social cohesion.
The question that drives us
We asked the people who make up ID4Children. These are their answers.
It takes no longer thinking of integration as a favour and starting to design it as a method. What gets measured can be improved.
Maria Candelaria AraozPresident
It takes growing up together with others, not alongside them. Separating newcomers has never integrated anyone: mixing is the condition, not the risk.
Maria Victoria AraozVice-President
It takes a place where they don't have to explain where they come from to be accepted. Sport and play provide that place: sharing an activity is worth more than any introduction.
Fernanda AlmadaCommunications
It takes asking them, not deciding for them. A child finds their place when their voice counts, not when others decide what they need.
Julie IssaAdviser
It takes being close when everything new is frightening. A child dares to belong when they feel someone is walking alongside them, not just receiving them.
Carola AráozProgrammes
The world we live in challenges us to understand it. The world we want demands that we transform it.
María Belén MartellottoJunior Research Assistant
It takes making sure the bond doesn't end when the activity does. What begins through play has to carry on at school, at home, in the neighbourhood.
Valentino RosalesField coordination
It takes time and constant presence. Belonging isn't achieved in a day: it is built by coming back, encounter after encounter.
Federico CantoneTechnology and innovation
Coming together connects us. Belonging transforms us.
