Although Peru is an amazing country with many things to recommend it, it is also riddled with poverty. Lima, Cusco and other cities are home to thousands of street children who have nowhere to go. Many of these children were abandoned because their parents could no longer afford to feed them, while others fled on their own to escape violence and abuse.

While there are around 8 million people in Lima, Peru, an estimated 3.5 million live in poverty and reside in slums. According to estimates, there may be up to 300,000 children living on the streets. Other cities in Peru also have problems with street children. For example, in Bethlehem there are about 40,000 people living in poverty and there are frequent outbreaks of cholera, which makes the situation even worse.

Most of Peru’s street children leave their homes when they are between 5 and 9 years old, rarely surviving more than a few years. As a result of living on the streets, many end up being hit by cars, shot or beaten to death.

Many of these children are forced into prostitution just to get food to survive. Even so, they often cannot find enough food to eat and end up starving on the streets. In some cases, street children earn money to buy food by collecting garbage and sorting it for paper and other scraps to sell.

Fortunately, some charities help street children by providing them with food, housing, and education. One of these organizations is called The Vine Trust, and its main goal is to improve the lives of these children. The Vine Trust operates a number of children’s homes and is run by a former Church of Scotland minister who goes by the name Papa; Christmas.

The Vine Trust also has a medical project, helping families with their various difficulties and thus reducing the incidence of young children being expelled or running away. They have a large boat that works as a mobile hospital in the high Peruvian Amazon. It treats approximately 2,000 people every 10 days and is staffed by medical staff from Scotland.

Although Peru is a country rich in natural resources such as silver, copper, gold and oil, great inequalities exist, in part due to corruption and government problems. Hopefully in the future there will be more social and economic equality that will cause a decrease in the number of street children.

If you plan to study Spanish in Peru, be prepared because this is a widespread problem that is quite shocking. However, there are ample volunteer opportunities to help these street children. You can also donate money on the Vine Trust website and encourage your friends and family to do the same.