World Statistics

"An entire generation of children is being lost.."

·   There are an estimated 150 million children who call the streets of the world home. (UNICEF, 1998)

·   The most commonly used number for homeless children in the USA is 450,000(1991). Statistics reach up to 500,000 - 750,000. (National Coalition for the Homeless, 1990)

·   40,000 children under 5 years old die daily. (14 million annually) (UNICEF, 1991)

·   In Bogota Columbia missionaries with Action International have 50,000 children living on the streets of that city to care for.

·   Mexico City has 1,900,000 kids on the streets, 240,000 of them are abandoned. (Action International, 1996)

·   In one year Guatemalan police have publicly executed up to 40 street children and injured hundreds more. The government admits to only 5,000 street children in Guatemala City. (Relin, 1991)

·   Brazil may house the most abandoned children in the world, their numbers range from 12 to 24 million

     Between 1985-1991 as many as 1,500 of these children were murdered. (Relin, 1991)

Homeless children are uniquely powerless... they are forced to fend for themselves. no one protects them.

they are considered equal to trash in the eyes of many adults.

·   70,000 - 75,000 children in Manila live on the streets. About 30% of the boys and girls as young as 8 years old work as prostitutes. (Relin, 1991)

·   800,000 girls 12-16 years old are prostitutes in Thailand. Parents sell children into bondage. (UNICEF, 91)

·   1.3 minion crippled children beg for employers in Bombay. (Relin, 1991)

Children are a commodity. Bought and sold, purposely maimed, used to earn money and then, they die.

·   62% of the girls on Brazilian streets will either commit suicide or be murdered before they are 18. (Switz.)

·   An estimated 260,000 children were left after Cheausescu's government toppled in Romania. Half of these abandoned children were sent to a 77 bed shelter, the remainder were labeled as handicapped and placed in "death houses". (World Press Review, 1991)

·        10,000 children, primarily boys, live at St. Petersburg airport, formally  Russia. Militia round them up and place them in prison, institutes or return them home. Yearly 3,000 runaway. (World Press Review, 1992)

·     The 20,000 - 30,000 children living on the streets of Moscow are viewed as "genetically inferior," subhuman, dispensable. (National Catholic Reporter, 1993)

Jesus Christ is the only hone for their future. One child at a time, we can make a difference.

·   By 2000 AD, there will be 1,000,000 orphans in South Africa due to AIDS, 65-70% will turn to crime & prostitution. (Children's Ministries Convention, 1996)

·   There are 1,000,000 orphans in Uganda (Wayfarers Ministries, 1/96)

·   In Zambia 600,000 children will be orphaned by the year 2000 as a result of AIDS (Action Intl., 6/96)

·   400,000 African children carry HIV. An estimated 2.5 million will die of AIDS & 5 million more will become AIDS orphans by 2000 AD. (Operation World)

Worldwide a new and growing subculture of Homeless/street children is emerging.

·   In the 60's & 70's the number of homeless children remained constant. For example, NYC had 1400 homeless children. Then in the 80's the population began to grow: in 1984 there were 7000; 1987 12,303; and 1991 20,000 kids were homeless in NYC. (Zuckerman, 1988 &N.C. for the Homeless, 1991)

·      Wherever you look there are children. Their names: orphan, abused & unloved, abandoned, polluted, castoffs, just another mouth to feed, unwanted burden, unexpected accident, headache, added expense, nuisance, good-for-nothing, trash, thief, disposable ones, vermin, garbage... today the picture, isn't pretty.

You can make a difference in what tomorrow will be like for children of the world!