Here are a bunch of statistics that are really heart breaking. While I don't put my trust in statistics these are a good indication that we live in a hurting and dying world. I wanted to share them so those of you that are interested and/praying for us can have an idea of what we will be working with.
Many children in Peru are sent to work to support their families in spite of child labor being against the law. Two out of ten children ages 6-11 work and there are more than 3 million children working in Peru. Due to the high and persistent levels of poverty, Peruvian children are often sent out by their parents to earn money on the streets. This might be by selling sweets or crafts, begging, performing acrobatics, or in one of many other ways.
Studies show that 90% of street children come from rebuilt (with step-father or step-mother) or mono-parental families, or from rural families that had 'given' their child to other people (relatives or not) to be raised by the latter in the city.
Children are often blamed and at the receiving end of family disputes so much so that the streets appear as a better alternative than the family home. Too scared and afraid of another episode of violence, the children run to the streets for the comfort and refuge they so badly seek. One research project found that 73% of the street children they interviewed cited family violence and child mistreatment as reasons for taking to the streets. The report also suggests that most street-living boys in Peru are children who had become 'scapegoats' in their family; blamed for causing conflict and stress, and maltreated when their families were going through a crisis.
These statistics illustrate not only the need for a safe haven for homeless children. They also illustrate the need to build godly men to reverse the curse of fatherlessness. Our desire is to teach these “men” that “Maturity doesn’t come with age but begins with the acceptance of responsibility” (-Edwin Louis Cole) and not just accepting responsibility for yourself but for those around you.
-Victor Cetina
