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Chancellor Angela Merkel visits project for girls who live in the streets
(Duisburg/Addis Ababa, October 4th 2007) During their stay in Africa Chancellor Angela Merkel and Heide Wieczorek-Zeul, secretary for development, visited a project in Addis Ababa, which is supported by Kindernothilfe. The institution offers protection and support for girls who are forced to live in the streets. Many of them had to leave their families because of extreme poverty or cruelty.
Chancellor Angela Merkel visting street children. Picture: Federal Government/ Guido Bergmann Assistance for 560 girls
With their support programmes OPRIFS wants to improve the living conditions of 560 girl, who dwell in the streets. About 50 girls live in a welfare centre temporarily, within three years 340 girls come there for protection against abuse and violence. After a period of acclimatization, the project staff tries to re-establish the contact to the families and to enable the girls to return home.
Another 220 girls who work in the streets are supported and receive medical aid. Regular meals in welfare centres, recreational activities as well as advice from project members and psychologists help them on their way back into a normal life. Furthermore, the girls can go to school.
The dangerous life of street children
About a quater of the 60.000 street children has lost contact to their families or relatives. Gang fights, prostitution and drugs dominate their lives. Many suffer from malnutrition or/and HIV-infections. Every fourth street child is a girl.
Kindernothilfe supports more than 90 projects in
In 2007 Kindernothilfe supports in Ethiopia more than 90 projects with a total of 4,7 million Euros. The institution is the biggest Christian relief organization in Europe. With its partners it supports more than 300.000 girls and boys in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe.
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