FEATURES
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PUNK FOR THE HOMELESS |
WHAT ON EARTH IS PUNK 4 THE HOMELESS ABOUT? |
We all know what homelessness is,it is hitting rock bottom and having very few places left to go. It is being cold,hungry and vulnerable. Vulnerable from the elements but also vulnerable from people who hate the very fact that you exist. People die younger on the streets and if one takes a look at Latin America,it can be seen that many of the homeless are the most vulnerable of all;children. This is not to say that this is not a problem in other areas of the world nor that it is not a major problem for older people.but it could be argued that the systematic killing of the homeless does not occur in the UK,and homeless children are not so obviously part of our streets.Probably because the authorities will help children in need here,whereas it is often those in authority who torment and kill the children Casa Aliannza helps. Casa Alianza being the charity Punk 4 The Homeless tries to help. |
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An International Charity Dedicated to Street Children |
Casa Alianza is an international, non-governmental organisation dedicated to the rehabilitation and defence of street children in Honduras, Nicaragua and Mexico. We work with over 12,000 street children a year most of whom have been orphaned, abused or abandoned and are further traumatised by the indifference of the societies in which they live. Founded in 1981 in an uncompromising environment of violent conflict and intolerable human rights abuses rampant in Latin America in the early 1980s, Casa Alianza has grown from a refuge for displaced Guatemalan children into an international organisation working on behalf of street children. We offer street children shelter, food, medical care, protection, guidance, respect and love. Casa Alianza began as a place where forgotten children could escape from loneliness, hunger, drugs, poverty, prostitution, emotional starvation and physical danger. Twenty five years later, our work continues but we have grown to become a lot more. Casa Alianza now also actively defends children’s rights and our staff regularly risk their own personal safety to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. As well as four programme offices in Latin America, there are also three offices in Europe (Germany, Switzerland and the UK) that support our programmes and campaigns. |
Recognition of our work |
In 1996 Casa Alianza received the Swedish Olaf Palme Award for the organisations “dedicated work to help street children in Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico" and “for the courageous defence of the rights of these children". This was followed by the International Award for Children’s Rights in 1999 from the International Bureau for Children’s Rights in Montreal, Canada. The award was for Casa Alianza’s “outstanding contribution in the defence of children’s rights“ and was awarded by the Honourable Andree Ruffo and Pierre Dionne, the President and Director General respectively. In 2000 Casa Alianza was awarded the Conrad N Hilton Humanitarian Award. The award begun by the Conrad N Hilton Foundation in 1996 is the largest humanitarian award in the world and recognises “extraordinary contributions towards the alleviation of human suffering". This was the first time that the prize had gone to a Latin American organisation. The prize money was used to expand our services in Nicaragua. Punk 4 The Homeless is a not for profit organization,which obviously has a love for punk rock but also wants punks to see that there is more to the scene than rhetoric,that is not to say that punks are not in the main politically active to change things for the better,they obviously are,but,things like Police Oppression are more than subjects for songs and Punk 4 The Homeless offers individuals,organizations,bands zines,in fact all areas of punk a chance to get involved and help save lives and relieve suffering. Casa Alianza works in three main areas:- |
HONDURAS |
Honduras Country ProfileSince independence, Honduras has since been plagued by unrest, internal rebellion and civil war. Today Honduras faces problems of extreme poverty, chronic unemployment and a serious crime wave fuelled by gangs known as "maras". Honduras Facts & Figures
Casa Alianza HondurasThousands of children live on the streets in Honduras - many are attacked, have their rights violated or suffer extreme emotional distress. Casa Alianza Honduras offers a range of services to street children from street outreach work to offering children the chance to escape the streets and move into one of our residential programmes. When we first make contact with children on the street our goal is to establish a friendly relationship based upon respect. A fundamental principal of Casa Alianza is that we never make judgements and build trust by offering friendship, advice and practical help. We then build upon this to motivate children to start making their own decisions about their future. For those that want to escape the streets we offer them a way out by entering one of our programmes. Our street outreach programme is of vital importance in helping children take the first steps away from the street. Our street educators then remain in touch with children once they do move into one of our programmes to help them through the transition. The outreach team also monitors what happens to street kids. If they fall ill we offer medical attention. If their rights have been abused we offer legal support or inform families about what has happened. |
MEXICO |
Mexico Country ProfileBordered by the United States to the north and Belize and Guatemala to the south, Mexico has a population of over 107 million people. Mexico City, the capital, itself is home to over 19 million. Today Mexico is a country of contrast where affluence and extreme poverty exist side by side. Mexico Facts & Figures
Casa Alianza MexicoFundación Casa Alianza México I.A.P. (CAM) was established in Mexico City in 1988. We work with street children and adolescents aged between 12 and 18 including young mothers and their babies. Many of these have been victims of human trafficking, sexual abuse or have had addiction problems. Many are HIV postive. Casa Alianza Mexico has a well developed multi-disciplinary team. We offer children the opportunity to escape from the streets to a place of safety where they will be respected and where we don't make judgements. As with other Casa programmes, we offer a staged transition programme that begins on the street. We then offer children the opportunity to escape from their bleak existence into one of our residential programmes and via education and training ultimately offer them an opportunity to lead independent and self sufficient lives. |
NICARAGUA |
Nicaragua Country ProfileNicaragua is renowned for its landscapes, flora and fauna, culture, beaches, lakes and volcanoes. Civil war, dicatorship and natural disaster have sadly left Nicaragua as one of the poorest countries in the Western hemisphere. Nicaragua Facts & Figures
Children's Lives in NicaraguaA survey by the US Department of Labor in 2000 estimated that almost 10% of children under 14 worked to earn a living. In rural areas, children work in the production of export crops such as coffee or tobacco, as well as in fishing, stockbreeding and mining. In urban areas, children work on the streets selling merchandise, cleaning car windows, or begging. Some children are forced by their parents to beg, and some are “rented” out by their parents to organized groups of beggars. Child prostitution is a widespread problem in Nicaragua, particularly in Managua, port cities, along the Honduran and Costa Rican borders, and near highways. More about Children's Lives in Nicaragua. Casa Alianza NicaraguaIn response to thousands of vulnerable children living on the streets in Nicaragua, Casa Alianza began a programme in January 1998 to work with children at risk. Our first crisis centre and an additional transition centre were opened later that year. We expanded again in 2001 to open a "Mothers and Babies" centre to look after young mothers who were looking after their babies on the street and for pregnant teenage girls. Today, Casa Alianza Nicaragua works with an average of 5,000 street children a year. Many of these are the victims of sexual exploitation or were trafficked for sexual purposes. The vast majority have problems with addiction, have broken family ties and all are considered to be at high risk. Following an award from the Conrad N Hilton Foundation, the prize money was donated to Nicaragua and was used to construct a new residential centre. Within this "home", we provide specialist services to street children which include:
Nicaragua AppealStreet kids often come to us in crisis and it can take a long time to rebuild trust and to get children to start being children again. Simple activities such as art therapy, music and dance can really help children in their transition away from the street For more information check out http://www.casa-alianza.org.uk/ or www.myspace.com\punk4thehomeless Punk 4 The Homeless supports Casa Alianza but is a not for profit organization and not a charity. Anyone wanting to make a donation to help the street children can do so on the Casa Alianza Site,there you will also find more ways to help and more information.Anyone wanting to help in Punk 4 The Homeless in any way can contact Gary Eagling (Eagle) through myspace,numbers, E-mail etc are on the profile. |