Many children need to work from a very early age. On the streets, they become victims of exploitation and abuse. It is Tdh duty to break the cycle of poverty and defend their rights.


Solutions proposed by Terre des hommes

Alternatives to the street – Terre des hommes (Tdh) and its partners support the social reintegration of children on the streets. They take part in social, educational and artistic activities; and when necessary, assistance with school work is suggested. Subsequently, children are involved in the campaign to increase society’s awareness of their rights.

A future for and with children – The activities provided by Tdh strengthen the children’s own capacities to express and to look after themselves. Due to greater self-confidence they can envisage new future perspectives such as getting a school education or professional training.

Defence – Tdh acts as a network by directly talking to the children, their families and communities. Tdh is also lobbying national authorities for the defence and promotion of children’s rights, as well as promoting their access to health services, education and professional training.


Results achieved in 2008

In figures – In conjunction with over 244 local associations, Tdh has helped 37,120 children in Rio de Janeiro, Baixada Fluminense, Fortaleza and São Luis.

Participation – The involvement of children and families in all project campaigns reinforces their self-esteem and, consequently, their ties with their families and communities. Hence vulnerable children could be prevented from being forced out onto the streets.

Child protection – The experience of Tdh and the results achieved have helped to influence local and national authorities and make them adapt or establish social policies for the protection of children. In addition, the training of over 3,000 professionals who work for NGOs and governmental organisations has helped to improve the quality of services for the children and their families.


Challenges to be taken up

Gap between the rich and the poor – 10% of the population owns 45% of the gross domestic product while 10% of the poorest hardly owns 1%. Urban violence – The poorest parts are in the grip of organised gangs. 6,000 children - many street children - have been recruited for drugs and arms trafficking in Rio de Janeiro. Geographic expansion – The coordination of efforts to establish a protection system is difficult to realise in this huge country. While the laws are the same everywhere, their application differs from one region to the next.


The story of: A new start for Teresa

The story of Teresa, 25 years of age, is not very different from the one of many other Brazilian women. After Teresa grew up with a drug-addicted mother and hardly ever attended school, she became a mother at 18 and was mistreated by her husband.
Around the age of 14, Teresa* started out on the streets. She was exploited and badly treated by her aunt with whom she lived after the death of her mother. She survived by selling sweets and by begging. Even after the birth of her three children (who are now aged 7, 5 and 2) she continued to work on the streets: the two younger ones accompanied her while the eldest stayed with an aunt.

Having been told about Terre des hommes a year ago, Teresa is currently taking part in the “Novos Rumos” project, which was set up by a partner association of Tdh. Together with the people in charge of the organisation, they have drawn up a plan for her future. She is training to become a hairdresser and has received help to buy the respective tools (hair brush, hair dryer and scissors). She has set up on her own and has turned one of the rooms of her apartment into a hair salon.

Her two children go to nursery and no longer spend every day on the street. Teresa will have completed her training in five months and she is already able to earn some of her own money.