STREET ANGELS UK
Street Angels UK was started in 1994 to support the grass roots community in Salvador, North-East Brazil and the issue of Brazilian street children and the conditions they face.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF STREET ANGELS
In north east Brazil, more than 77% of the population live below the poverty line. 30% of children below the age of five suffer from malnutrition and 2 million children receive no education.
At the squatters shanty town of Dona Aurora on the outskirts of Salvador, a team lead by Miriam Ulriych (Weaver Insitute) set up a democratically elected residents association AMADA to provide the community with a legal basis, training centre and legal land for a real school.
In early 1994, Mr Bongo Records (an established international dealer in Latin American music), offered to promote the scheme in the UK, and registered Street Angels as a UK charity.
In 1994 with the export and sale of 4,500 angels and a grant from the Canadian Embassy a school was built with a capacity for 250 children, named Escola Comunitaria de anjos de rua- ?The Street Angels Community school? In March 1996 the state assumed responsibility for the school and it is now a registered school under the national curriculum.
1998 The Health Care Clinic was set up to provide primary health care clinical services such as pre and post natal care, baby clinics, first aid, diagnosis and referrals that are not available locally. The clinic is continually expanding to include vaccination programmes, and homoeopathy and public health and awareness programmes are ongoing to include sanitation, hygiene, nutrition, family planning, substance abuse, domestic violence, childcare and sexually transmitted diseases.
The purpose of the project is as follows:
- To help marginalized women and adolescents to increase their income so that families can keep their children in school.
- To develop and maintain accessible educational and health-care programs designed for children and their families.
- To support local women in their efforts to organise democratic community development groups.
- To increase public awareness about the plight of children forced to live and work on the streets.
A Street Angels album was released on Mr Bongo to help raise money for the project.
Please visit the international website for more information www.streetangels.ca
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