The donation of November 2013 goes to:
SOS Children’s Villages – Paraguay
SOS Children believes every child should grow up in a caring family environment.
Across the world, we try to achieve this in two ways. Firstly, we prevent children ending up alone, abandoned or in institutions. We do this through community-based programmes that support families. Secondly, for lone children who cannot live with their family, we provide a loving home in an SOS Children’s Village. We also provide quality education and healthcare in these communities.
Paraguay is in the center of South America. With no significant mineral or natural resources, the economy is largely agricultural. The economic problems in neighbouring Argentina have also affected Paraguay and over 60 per cent of the population live below the poverty line. According to UNICEF, more than 30 per cent of children fail to finish elementary schooling, often because they do not have an adequate command of Spanish, which is the language of tuition.
In the streets of the capital, Asunción, an estimated 30,000 children work as shoe-blacks or newspaper vendors, often to supplement the family income. Most of them are completely neglected and suffer from malnutrition, parasites and anemia.
SOS Children’s Villages Work in Paraguay
We began working in Paraguay in 1970. Today there are six SOS Children’s Villages, one of which is specifically for handicapped children, as well as numerous supplementary social welfare and medical facilities which also benefit the wider community.
[donation made via SOS-barnebyer]