In Guatemala, Covid-19 has brought about high levels of unemployment, reports of increased domestic violence, and limited access to health, education and protection services. Teresa lives with her 11-year-old grandson, Bautista, in Guatemala City. Working in the cemeteries provided Teresa with a steady income until the pandemic came, and the government closed the area. Teresa […]
Category: Latin America
5 ways Community Centres are helping families
BY LUCY COX In Latin America many families have been hit hard by the pandemic. Viva’s partner networks are coming alongside these families to help them pursue a brighter future. Community Centres are a new initiative which have been set up by our partner networks in Costa Rica and Mexico, offering holistic support to families […]
Seeking justice for all children
A heart for building a more effective child protection system in Paraguay BY ANNA BARKER At the start of last year, Ruth Sharon came to us at Viva with a strong legal career specialising in child abuse cases and a heart to make a difference. She wanted to help governments and judiciaries ensure their child […]
Thousands reached by mentoring phone calls
Viva’s phone mentoring programme is exceeding expectations, as it positively impacts thousands of children and families worldwide facing increasingly desperate times because of COVID-19. The initiative has been developed collaboratively by Viva’s global team over the past six months in response to the emerging realities of the pandemic. Restrictions have made it difficult for Viva’s […]
Time to redefine priorities
BY CARMEN ALVAREZ Central America faces two pandemics: COVID-19 and hunger. We cannot speak about the impact of the pandemic on the economy without mentioning the structural problems that people face. Several issues include high levels of unemployment, increased violence towards children and women, and limited access to health, education and protection services due to […]
Safeguarding Children From Afar during a Pandemic
Local churches in some of the poorest cities around the world are on the frontline of the pandemic in the Global South. Coming together in pioneering, city-wide networks, they are reaching increasingly vulnerable children and families – despite being socially distant.
Making dreams a reality
Growing up without loving parental support, teenagers in Costa Rica are left depressed and confused about what the future might hold as they enter adulthood. Joel Porras writes about how a mentoring programme, run by our partner network, is giving them hope of a brighter future. A quarter of homicides in Costa Rica take place […]
“I have lived through radical change”
Antonio from Oruro, Bolivia describes the positive impact of Viva’s partner network when he was a child – and why he still believes in it today. Read his testimony and watch it in the video at the bottom of the article. My name is Antonio. I study in Oruro. I am 21 years old and […]
Exposing hidden abuses in Paraguay
BY EMMA STONEHOUSE Unthinkably, 61 per cent of ten to eighteen year-olds in Paraguay have experienced some form of violence or mistreatment from their closest family members. Violence against children remains an issue largely hidden inside the walls of homes, and consequently it is left unaddressed and ignored. Our partner network in Paraguay believes that […]
Lester: “I’m committed to care for children”
Lester, a young adult from Honduras, shares his story of why his mindset about children has been turned around through the work of Viva’s partner network in his community. My name’s Lester, I am 19 years old and I am a volunteer with Red Viva Honduras, especially in helping to lead its Good Treatment Campaign.* […]