7 NGO that help children around the world

From education projects in Syria to clowns who bring smiles to chronically ill children

Almost half of the 700 million people living in extreme poverty – that is, on less than $1.25 a day, as defined by the World Bank – are children.

A serious problem included in the agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals, where the United Nations (UN) calculates that in order to eradicate this problem by 2030 it is necessary to lift 50 million people out of poverty every year.

Many NGOs strive to alleviate the basic needs of the little ones, also in our country, while others insist on changing their lives for the better in other aspects.

We take a look at the work of seven of them.

1 – Save the Children

Save the Children was born almost a century ago with the aim of helping refugee and displaced children after World War I.

Today its work extends to 120 countries.

with the aim of ensuring that children’s rights are respected.

In addition, this NGO works in Spain to put an end to the risk of social exclusion of children and young people up to 18 years of age from families in economic, relative or extreme poverty.

2 – Unicef

Protecting children’s rights Our country has one of the highest rates of child poverty in the European Union, behind Romania and Greece.

Almost 40% of the child population lives below the poverty line, according to Unicef data.

Unicef is the United Nations Children’s Fund.

Unicef always works to ensure that children’s rights are protected, and to this end it develops educational and health programs in 190 countries.

This NGO ensures that the children’s rights set out in the Human Rights Treaty and the Convention on the Rights of the Child are fulfilled.

A large part of its funds are invested in human development programs in developing countries.

One of its flagship projects, Unicef Challenge, seeks to reduce infant

mortality.

Unfortunately, according to Unicef, 17,000 children still die every day due to lack of vaccines and health resources, malnutrition or lack of access to drinking water.

3. Aldeas Infantiles

A home for all The SOS Children’s Villages program helps children in Spain, who for various reasons cannot live with their parents, to have a family environment that allows them to grow up surrounded by love and the support they need.

Aldeas Infantiles also has an Emergency Response Program, which also works for the seven million Syrian children in need of urgent humanitarian aid.

4. Fundación Pequeño Deseo

Emotional well-being for sick children.

Fulfilling a wish generates positive emotions that can have an enormous effect on the well-being of children with an illness, since its benefits can last up to nine months, according to the report ‘Fulfilling small wishes: Effects on the well-being of children with serious illnesses’, by the Official College of Psychologists of Madrid and the Complutense University of Madrid.

And it is this well-being that the Fundación Pequeño Deseo, which makes the wishes of chronically ill children come true, takes advantage of to help them cope with their health problems.

Since 2000, and following in the footsteps of the Make-A-Wish association – which also works in Spain, with similar objectives – this foundation has been helping children with problems to meet their idols, with visits to hospitals.

This project is supported by Mensajeros de la Paz and the Spanish Pediatric Association (AEP).

The key is to provide children with experiences that enrich their lives, with hope, strength and joy.

Laughter as therapy Laughter.

Fulfilling a wish generates positive emotions that can have an enormous effect on the well-being of children with an illness, since its benefits can last up to nine months, according to the report ‘Fulfilling small wishes: Effects on the well-being of children with serious illnesses’, by the Official College of Psychologists of Madrid and the Complutense University of Madrid.

And it is this well-being that the Fundación Pequeño Deseo, which makes the wishes of chronically ill children come true, takes advantage of to help them cope with their health problems.

Since 2000, and following in the footsteps of the Make-A-Wish association – which also works in Spain, with similar objectives – this foundation has been helping children with problems to meet their idols, with visits to hospitals.

This project is supported by Mensajeros de la Paz and the Spanish Pediatric Association (AEP).

The key is to provide children with experiences that enrich their lives, with hope, strength and joy.

5 – Payasos Sin fronteras

Clowns Without Borders:

Laughter as therapy Laughter.

Grimaces that thrill.

Jokes and artistic skills that surprise and serve to transform the complicated situation that many children live in due to war or natural catastrophes.

Laughter is the best medicine, according to those responsible for Clowns Without Borders, an NGO that has been helping children through art since 1993.

Its clowns are artists who, on a voluntary basis, bring joy to small refugees living in populations in conflict or with a lack of resources.

Their work serves to raise awareness of values such as solidarity, empathy and humanitarian aid.

6 – Infancia sin Fronteras

Infancia sin fronteras works in countries with few resources, including Honduras, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Niger and Sri Lanka.

This organization has projects in food health, clean energy, maternal health and quality education to combat child inequality.

7 – Ayuda en Acción

Ayuda en Acción is another NGO that helps children through the promotion of health policies and health care, food and education projects to protect children’s rights.

It is present in 19 countries.

It also works to raise awareness in Spanish schools interested in human rights education.