Toybox - let the Street Children live!
Leaving the streets of Guatemala
There are a lot of children living or working on the streets in Guatemala- but there are also lots of people who want to help them. There is an organisation called El Castillo (this means 'The Castle') that works with street children.
Here are some of the things they do..
The street team...
This team spends every afternoon and every evening with the street children. They chat to them, play games with them, and get to know them. Sometimes the children are hurt and need first aid - like in this picture.
Sometimes, children pretend to need first aid even when they aren't hurt. This is because what they really need is love and attention - so the street team give them this!
Street children have often been badly treated by adults, so it can take a long time for the street team to make friends with them. Street children really need love, care and attention, just like any other children.
The day centre...
The children that the street team meet are invited to the day centre. This is a place where they can get away from street life for a while. They can have a shower and a hot meal. They might begin to learn to read, or do some crafts like the boys in the picture.
The day centre is the first step for children who want to leave the streets. Leaving the streets is not easy. It means changing their whole life, and sometimes leaving their friends behind.
The hostel...
After a child has been coming to the day centre for a little while, they can move into the hostel. Here, they are looked after all day and all night - they live there full time. It can be very hard for a child who has lived on the streets to get used to the hostel.
The hostel helps the children to get ready to move into a family home. They eat, sleep, play games and learn - as well as helping out, like they would in a family.
A new family...
There are six special homes in Guatemala for children who used to live on the streets. Here they have new parents, and lots of brothers or sisters! The girls in the picture are from Salem home.
These homes are just like big families. The children are given everything they need. They go to school, have days out, eat and play together. They are loved and cared for, and have a much better life.
What happens next?
The children who live in the homes are given the chance of a bright future. They receive support for as long as they need it - just like in any other family. They all have dreams of what they would like to be when they grow up.
The girl in this picture is called Aury. When she was younger she lived in a very difficult situation where she was in danger of being harmed. Because of this, she moved into one of the girls' homes. She always wanted to become a nurse, and now she has achieved that dream. Aury lives at home with her real mum again.