Who We Help   |   FAQ’s   |   What We Provide

Who does Ninos de Argentina help?

Children in need. Street children. Orphans. Over 56% of the children under 18 years of age in Argentina live in poverty. The above-age rate of children in primary school is 21.4% at the national level, but significantly higher in Misiones (the province where Posadas is located) at 42.3%. This rate indicates the number of children in a grade lower than the norm for their age. (Example: a 9 year old in 1st grade).

Source: UNICEF - La infancia en Argentina, 2004, Ministerio de Educación, Ciencia y Tecnología

What is a child in need?

Orphans or street children can be divided into categories.

1) Children in orphanages who have a home or family. They either return to their families at the end of the day or on weekends. These children typically are not allowed to be adopted. The orphanage provides a shelter and makes attending school mandatory.

2) Children on the street who have a home or family. They usually return to their families at the end of the day. Most earn a living for themselves and their families by begging or working. Many attend school.

3) Children in orphanages who have no home or family. These children have been removed from their homes due to physical or sexual abuse. The orphanage provides not only shelter and mandated education, but a home for these children. These children may have occasional contact with their families. They usually are able to be adopted.

4) Children on the street who have no home or family. These children have chosen the street as their home. They work and beg, usually in small groups, and seek shelter on the streets. These children do not attend school.

5) Children in orphanages who have been abandoned. These children have been ordered by the Justice Department to live here since their parents and other relatives abandoned them. The orphanage provides not only shelter and mandated education, but a home for these children. These children have no contact with their families. These children are able to be adopted.

6) Children on the street who have been abandoned. These children have severed all ties with their families. They are entirely on their own, not only for material survival but also psychologically. This is sometimes the child’s choice and sometimes the family’s choice.