If you’ve seen the BBC report, you would know why we need to urgently help these young girls through our programme of rescue, rehabilitation and reintegration in Recife, north-east Brazil.

The shocking truth is that girls as young as nine are working as prostitutes and UNICEF estimates that there are about 500,000 girls who have turned to prostitution to earn a living in Brazil, 250,000 of those are in the north-east.

They cannot break the cycle without help as they do not have many options.  Their lack of marketable skills makes it difficult for these young girls to stop selling their bodies and in most cases the family structures have broken down due to poverty, gangs, drugs and abuse - the sex trade is their only alternative. This situation is critical in Recife in the north-east, one of the poorest areas in Brazil.   

      * Some families have been known to sell or force their own children into prostitution for food or additional income into the home.

     * A street child can endure violence, sexual exploitation, abandonment, fear, drugs, loneliness, poverty, criminal gangs, oppression and despair.

      * They have no potential or hope of fulfilment and over a third of them face death before their 18^th birthday.

And the nightmare is getting worse. Their plight is being fuelled by the dramatic growth of the internet, attracting an increasing number of European paedophiles who have made Brazil the world’s premier child sex tourism destination. 

This shameful humanitarian crisis is one where YOUR support is needed!

THE SOLUTION

To address this Happy Child Recife plans to open more homes for these girls and to expand our commitment to our existing homes and specialist services.

Our holistic 12 step programme of restoration, rehabilitation and reintegration includes education, training, counselling by psychologists and social workers and trained carers to give them security and the opportunity for a better future.  This is the hope that Happy Child can give a child. 

But this cannot happen without your help. We urgently we need to raise £130,000 for the initial 2-3 year budget.

                                                 
A donation to Happy Child is the most effective way of combating this nightmare for street children.  Please help.

                                        _{Thank you!}

Happy Child International is one of the most experienced charities working with street children in Brazil. If you would like to know more about us or of other ways you can help, visit our website or phone our office.

Website: www.happychild.org

Telephone: 01372 375848