Children at Risk in Cusco
Street Kids
The street is their permanent home, there they survive, sleep wherever or with whoever they can. They have broken ties with their family and school. They are abandoned by their parents and society. They live on the streets where they search to pass time, walk in groups, play, sing, or rob; they inhale glue, consume chicha and alcohol. They are vulnerable to abuse and sexual commerce.
Worker Children in the Streets
They perform different work in the street to get by. For example, they sell post cards, key rings, shine shoes, sell food around the markets, and sell water and flowers in the cementaries, etc. A majority of these worker children live with their parents and use the job to help support their family. Most of them are still in school, but they sacrifice their studies for work. While important percentage, close to 45%, completely abandon school for many reasons, including not having enough time to do their homework. These children are too tired after work and because of this prefer to earn money and want to be permanently free.Beggar Children
Alone or accompanied daily by their parents they beg in the city streets, the income is an important support for their families, almost all of them are migrants from the country and their situation is of extreme poverty. They grow up with low self esteem, they are embarassed to be beggars, but they find that it is an easy way to survive.Trash Recyclers
They come from families in situations of extreme poverty, ordered by their parents or their own initiative. The children and their family basically survive from a collection of "well-used" residues that are found in the heaped up trash close to the markets, they fight with the dogs for this food.
