Mensajeros de la Paz (Peace Messengers) restores childhood rights in Argentina

Child poverty figures in Argentina have skyrocketed as a result of the pandemic and the impact of COVID-19. Between December 2019 and December 2020, the number of children in vulnerable situations due to poverty rose from 7 to 8.3 million, according to UNICEF Argentina.

For this reason, the Hogar Colibríes de Mensajeros de la Paz (Hummingbird Home of the Peace Messengers) temporarily welcomes children who are divested of a family environment due to neglect, abuse, or the absence of primary caregivers. In the home they are housed temporarily while the various strategies established by the State bodies responsible for the legal protection of minors are implemented. While in the home they are given emotional and nutritional support and provided with education to strengthen their social relationships and bonds with the community.

As a complement to the Home, the PAF (Family Support Program) consists of a community program that offers cultural and educational activities for children and teens from the area and serves as a place of reference for the families, providing a bridge between their social, health and food needs. The team of professionals working in this program promotes prevention strategies to help these families get themselves out of the vicious circle of poverty they are currently experiencing.

Fundación MAPFRE supports this project that works to uphold the dignity, identity and equal opportunities of children in Buenos Aires and to guarantee, in collaboration with the State, the exercise and restitution of their rights.