Step 1 Projects - Currently serving almost 300 children - Goal to serve over 600 children by end of 2010

What is a Step 1 Project?
Southern Cross Humanitarian is committed to implementing long term solutions for children-at-risk through humanitarian projects. We focus on basic needs as the priority as children require these for the foundation of personal growth and development. Our objective is to enhance the ability of children so they can more fully acquire the skills and tools needed to become positive contributing members of their communities. Step 1 projects all utilize one or more elements:

  • Healthy food
  • Hygiene training
  • Volunteer medical and/or dental attention

Current Step 1 Projects:
Iltaqui and Jawapamba, Ecuador:
This project focuses on feeding about 400 children who are currently attending schools in rural and low-income communities where government food rarely arrives. The purpose is to keep children from going hungry to allow them to focus on their education. Young children go with nothing to eat due to the fact that both parents spend the entire day away working in the fields. The food that the government is supposed to be providing comes irregularly, and children often leave school to find food at home or elsewhere. While visiting there, we found a very young girl crying from want of food. Upon interviewing local community members, it was found that this is a common occurrence and that children often miss classes due to leaving school during the day to find food. Regular food at school will promote regular school attendance. We will be sponsoring these schools with food, and expedition projects will focus on renovating the kitchens and other projects at the schools. Community members have volunteered to cook the food we provide for their children.

 
Iltaqui
  
Jawapamba


Yantalo, Peru:
Yantalo is a community in the Peruvian Amazon Jungle where the illiteracy rate is almost 50%. Currently, there are 150 children who travel up to 2 hours to get to school and many of whom suffer from malnutrition. Providing a kitchen behind the local school would allow the community to receive supplemental breakfasts from the government. The land has been purchased, the blueprints for the kitchen have already been submitted, and permits have been given. Volunteers in the July 2010 Expedition will provide the labor, and community members have agreed to provide on-going maintenance of the project.

    
Yantalo Video
With the help of the Yantalo Peru Foundation, volunteers give back to the community of Yantalo, Peru.
    
Preview to a documentary in progress
With the help of the Yantalo Peru Foundation, volunteers give back to the community of Yantalo, Peru.
   
El Bichito, Peru (The Little Bug)

 The "Little Bug" is located in the small town of Puyllucana, in the province of Cajamarca, Peru (2,500mts above sea level), about an hour flight from Lima, Peru. This center was started by Graciela Colle, from Argentine descent, and currently residing in Los Angeles, California, who after a trip to Peru began thinking of ways to help the children she saw on the streets. With the help of Ms. Feliciana Quiliche, who now runs the kitchen at “El Bichito 189", this home serves 81 children. Currently a Drop-in Center, Southern Cross has partnered with Graciella and is raising funds and working on permits to complete the second and third story to provide more long term care of the homeless and street children and to become an orphanage. Connections have been made with the local university to provide remedial classes for the older children at $81 a quarter and university classes at $100 a quarter. At this time, we have three young boys who are enrolled in the local university.

Felicianna
Felicianna - this wonderful woman
runs El Bichito!
















Semillas de Amor "Seeds of Love", Colombia:
50 to 100 children are served food at Semillas de Amor each day by three caring volunteers. For most children, this is their only meal of the day. Seeds of Love is in a part of Cartagenia called "New Colombia" where children and families have been displaced due to war and violence in the region over many years. Most of the children served in this center have handicaps and their caretakers are struggling to provide the basics for themselves and their children. A generous donation from our Southern Cross Chapter in Canada provided the "seed" money to begin a chicken industry which is proving to be very successful for this home and their desire for self-reliance.


















Alegria de Vivir “Joy of Life”, Colombia:
Alegria de Vivir, serves children in Turbaco, Colombia and focuses on children with special needs, many with debilitating handicaps. Local volunteers work to bring volunteer medical care and treatments to each child and organize activities to help feed the children. Southern Cross would like to increase the funding for this home in order to provide more food and specialized medical attention to change the future of these children.


















For more information, and the opportunity to support Step 1 projects, please go to: Sponsor-A-Child

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