Helping street-living children break away from life on the streets

An estimated 40 million children live on the streets of Latin America's densely populated cities (Unicef). These street children include: children living on the street with no home at all, children spending most of their time on the streets, without opportunities for education and care; and child workers who spend most of their time working on the street e.g. shoe-shining in Bolivia or selling tortillas in Guatemala.

The street teams search out the most vulnerable children, seeking those in greatest need. The teams offer them friendship, food and first aid. Street children generally find it extremely difficult to trust others, especially adults. Many of them have suffered abuse or abandonment. Our partners have found that it takes a long time to get to know the children and gain their trust, in order to help them to leave the streets. Teams go out onto the streets, often to dangerous places, and spend however long it takes to build up that trust that a child needs.

Children and teenagers spend hours colouring in pictures, playing card games, football and receiving the care and attention they deserve. After building up their trust over the period of time, the children are invited to go to a Toybox supported project or home.

This rescue work is vital – it often means the difference between the children being given something to eat that day, or going hungry. The teams administer first aid where needed, sometimes wash the children’s hair and feet, or just spend time with them - time that not many others are willing to give. They are showing God's love in action to those who have been overlooked by society.

“Here at the Home I’ve learned many things; respecting and loving people not by an obligation but because they gave me much love and they stood by me all the time. All along the years that I’ve lived here, people have helped me and every time that I remember my life in the streets, I treasure what they do for me and for all of us who live here.” Pedro, Cochabamba, Bolivia

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Go on to: Red Alert - Refuge - Jenifer's Story

‘Push Factors’ – reasons that might push the children onto the streets: Poverty, Political and Social unrest and the effect of past civil wars, Heavy storms and other ‘natural’ disasters that in Western countries would cause little more than disruption can cause easily cause death and displacement of families and children to the city, Urbanisation, Orphans, Dysfunctional family environment, Emigration (to the US & Europe) and Illegal Drug Trade opportunities. Read about them in more detail here.
‘Pull Factors’ – reasons that might attract children to street life: Gangs, Freedom, Drugs, Prospect of a better life. Read about them in more detail here.

Elvis' Story

Elvis was found sleeping on a mattress on the side of a street in Guatemala City. He was in a bad way from malnutrition and he had a badly injured head having been run over by a car and dragged along the road underneath it. His head was extremely badly scarred and his hair had not grown back. But the Toybox street team were able to take him to a Refuge centre where he received medical treatment, a hot meal and was given a warm place to stay, far away from his mattress on the side of the road. Now Elvis has the opportunity to attend school and to have a home amongst people whole love and care for him – something that will give him a much brighter future.