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Street Kids Appeal
Your donation today will help protect street children in Papua New Guinea and the Philippines. Your gift will secure basic needs for street kids and their families, such as food, water, shelter and clothing; return children to school and improve their financial stability.
The United Nations defines street kids as children whose world and survival depends upon what they can obtain in the streets. Life on the streets can be an unforgiving life for children. They are at risk of violence, exploitation, bullying, substance abuse and disease.
Your generosity today can help meet the immediate and future needs of street kids and their families living in the most vulnerable conditions.
Arno’s story – Not all street kids are homeless
In the beautiful beachside town of Moalboal, the streets are not just a place to play – they’re a place to work. Most tourists enjoying the tropical paradise remain unaware of the harsh reality faced by young children like Arno*, aged just 7, who roam outside bars and restaurants late at night, selling souvenirs to support their families. For children like Arno, every night brings the risk of abuse, violence and exploitation.
Your generosity this financial year can help change that.
In Arno’s community, Mercy Works is partnering with a local organisation to provide parents of street-working children with skills training and microloans to start small businesses, helping families achieve financial security and protect their children from harm.
“Poverty is the main reason why families send their children to work. This, in turn, denies them access to education and the skills needed to break free from the chains of poverty. If we can improve the earning capacity of parents, we can get vulnerable children off the streets and back into the classroom,” says
Andrew Lowry, Overseas Project Coordinator.
Please give generously today to help families build sustainable incomes, keep their children safe and create brighter futures for generations to come.
Port Moresby kids
The phenomenon of street kids is a devastating social issue in Papua New Guinea’s urban centres. Children usually end up on the streets due to poverty, domestic violence, abuse, family breakdown, parental unemployment, an absence of parental care (through death or neglect) and other psychological and personal factors. The steady migration from rural areas to urban centres like Port Moresby is exacerbating the problem.
Some estimates indicate that 20,000 children in Port Moresby rely on the streets for their survival. They miss out on an education because each day is focused on trying to support themselves or their families. Their inability to pay for basic education costs and difficulty to attend class regularly means that most schools refuse to enrol them as students. Yet education is the best way for children to break the cycle of poverty.
With your help we can teach street kids basic reading and math skills – to help successfully transition them into mainstream school – as well as provide them with nutritious meals, school uniforms, bus fares; and school backpacks filled with books and stationery.
Please Help Street Kids
A gift today will help protect street children like Arno from the dangers of abuse and exploitation, and provide a pathway back to school so they have the greatest opportunity to break the cycle of poverty. In Port Moresby we are working with a local partner** to feed, educate and clothe street children.
**Our partners
In the Philippines, we are partnering with the St. Mary Euphrasia Integrated Development Foundation and the Villa Maria Good Shephard Sisters to provide resources and opportunities to address risk of trafficking and exploitation of street children in Moalboal, Cebu, Philippines.
In Papua New Guinea, we are partnering with the Archdiocese of Port Moresby to help marginalised street children living on the streets of Port Moresby to return to school.
Donations of $2 or more to Mercy Works are tax deductible in Australia.
Thank you for your consideration in helping to support vulnerable people.
