By Gina Kellogg | Design by Maria Bertrand
Impoverished children and youth can travel beyond poverty when provided with some very simple things: good health, an education and the tools to become self-reliant.
See how the most basic support can have the most far-reaching impact on an impoverished child’s life.
Today’s children and youth are an invaluable resource. However, most live in developing countries – many in extreme poverty – where they routinely confront threats to their personal safety and progress.
Without help, these children face lives of desperation – and the likelihood that they will remain trapped in an intergenerational cycle of poverty forever.
But giving children the help they need isn’t complicated. It starts with simple steps. The first one: getting them healthy.
Children International begins the process at its community centers where children have access to medical and dental clinics with on-site doctors, dentists and nutritionists.
Next, CI provides material benefits that help keep children healthy.
Shoes, for example, protect vulnerable little feet from parasites lurking in filthy soil and injury from rocky, debris-strewn environments.
Shoes and clothing also give children access to an education. Most schools in underdeveloped countries require school uniforms to attend them.
But good health and an education aren’t enough. As children mature, they also need programs that nurture, educate and empower them to succeed in the future and contribute to society.
Children International’s community centers provide these programs. They teach youth how to avoid negative influences and lead healthy lifestyles …
… practice teamwork and build confidence …
… and develop life skills like leadership, problem-solving and civic engagement.
Scholarships for vocational training and college are the final steps in making tomorrow’s youth employable and ready to start on a road to independence.
So, while children in poverty may begin life in the most extreme circumstances …
… with supportive programs and services, they can stride confidently forward on a path toward success.
You can help.
Join TOMS and Children International to provide impoverished children and youth with the essential support and benefits they need to break out of poverty forever.
Learn more about TOMS One for One® model and Children International’s sponsorship program.
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