A recently published report has revealed that one child is abandoned in Guatemala City every four days – and over three quarters of them are new-born babies.

Toybox, a charity that rescues street children in Latin America, says it is "deeply concerned" about their future.

The charity said many families and parents in Guatemala abandoned children because they felt they had no other option.

"Poverty and large family sizes mean the children simply can’t be cared for," it said.

Other children are abandoned because they are physically disabled or have learning difficulties.

Without social services to help them, these children and babies are "struggling" to survive on the streets, the charity warned.

While the more fortunate ones are cared for by older children or street families, the less fortunate ones face death. Toybox said 20 abandoned children were found dead in the city last year.

Toybox is a Christian charity which works in partnership with local organisations to help the people of Latin America offer a future to their children. They provide practical help and friendship on the streets, education and training for street children, and services to reunite children with family members. They also provide loving foster homes and advocacy for street children.

Toybox and its partner, Viva Latin America, are working to save abandoned children by supporting projects run by local Christians and churches. One project Toybox is supporting is La Gran Comision which cares for abandoned babies. Another project, Amor del Nino, shelters over 60 abandoned disabled children.

One of the project leaders described the amazing change in children at the project.

“At first they arrive depressed, with sad faces, crying, disillusioned with life and without wanting to carry on living because of what they have suffered. Now they know how to hug, give a kiss, smile, play, share and forgive. They have become children again, in every way.”



On the web: www.toybox.org.uk