The Gamines

They are called 'the disposable ones', the children who live - and sometimes die - in the streets and the rubbish dumps of the cities of Colombia in South America. These 'gamines' range from six-year-olds to teenagers, and they are unloved, unwanted, beaten, robbed, abused, raped and murdered.
Although the Colombians are generally a kind and generous people, crime related to the cocaine traffic has made cities like Medellín amongst the most violent in the world. In the poverty and squalor of the shanty-towns, families tend to disintegrate and many more children find themselves alone on the streets. They have to survive as best they can, but they easily fall prey to violence and abuse. Many of the street-children sniff glue as an escape from pain, hunger or loneliness.
Let The Children Live!
Let The Children Live! is a UK Registered Charity (no. 1013634) through which people can respond to the needs of the street-children in Colombia. The Charity sometimes also supports projects for street-children in other countries, but because of the appalling level of violence in Colombia it is currently concentrating its resources there. It aims both to safeguard the lives of children from the violence and poverty of the streets, and to make their lives worth living by giving them love, education and a future. The Charity was founded by Father Peter Walters who became involved with the street-children in 1982 when they helped him after he became temporarily stranded in Colombia. Since then, he has gained first-hand knowledge of the problems of the Gamines and of the work that is being done to help them.
	"The Colombians themselves are taking the lead in the campaign to help the street-children," confirms Father Peter. "They are making the most of their limited resources, but they need support from abroad for this work to continue and grow. Because the gamines have no-one, they really belong to us all. Unless we help them, these children will remain 'disposable ones': throw-away kids with no future at all."
To make a donation to help the gamines... Details of the work Let The Children Live! funds and supports. Vivant!, the newsletter of Let The Children Live!, gives further background and details of our concern in Colombia and elsewhere.  Let The Children Live! is a charitable (not-for-profit) organisation and does not engage in political activity. We recognise that the phenomenon of the street-children is the product of complex social problems to which there are no easy answers. Our aim is to support the Colombian people as they take the initiative in caring for the most disadvantaged of their children. We believe that no human-being is 'disposable' and that every person is precious to God. We are therefore concerned to ensure that each child is cared for as an individual, with his or her own special needs. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, the lives of many children have already been preserved and made worth living through the provision of love, care, education and training: but it is never-ending work, for whenever some children leave the streets, others take their place...

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