LimaKids: Puentes

LimaKids: Puentes, giving kids a chance at a childhood

The phenomenon of street children in Lima, Peru, is directly related to poverty. Children are forced to work at a young age to feed themselves and their siblings. With the false allure of freedom and an escape from abusive homes, little by little the children stop returning home. Instead, they sleep huddled together on sidewalks ir abandoned buildings. More often then not, they turn to drugs to forget the cold and the hunger. On the streets, the children face abuse, rape, and death.

There are homes for these children, run by non-profit and religious organizations, which provide for their basic needs in an effort to rehabilitate them. Unfortunately, Peru’s economic situation often limits the effectiveness of these programs. The homes are crowded and money for clothes, school supplies, and recreation is lacking. Bored by the monotony in the homes and unable to understand that the homes are a better option than living in the streets, the children run away, returning to drugs and the dangers of the street.

Puentes originally began in February, 2002, the result of collaboration between six volunteers who worked in group homes for street children in Lima, Peru. We designed the program to financially assist already existing rehabilitation programs for street children. In 2006, LimaKids and Puentes joined forces to provide even better services for institutionalized children in Lima by funding and organizing projects that contribute to their well-being – be it through extracurricular activities, birthday celebrations, or making the homes a nicer place to live.

Past projects include, but are not limited to:

Birthday and holiday parties

Camping trips

Street outreach

Trips to historical sites

Mini-health clinic on the street

Outings to the movies

Used clothing drives

Swimming lessons

Soccer tournaments

Internet access