Latin America

The Latin American region is characterized by high levels of social and economic inequality, both between countries and among population groups. In particular, the countries in the southern part are, with a few exceptions, significantly more developed than the Andean region or Central America. Despite the economic upturn in some countries, the indigenous population, already oppressed under colonial rule, and those with African-American roots are in a socio-economically worse position. Particularly in rural areas and in the slums in and around large cities, there is often no secure access to water, electricity or education.

Organized crime, especially drug trafficking, is a threat to public security in some countries. In Brazil and Argentina, this is becoming an increasing problem. With extremely high murder rates in Mexico and Guatemala, particularly of women. 21 of the 25 countries and 43 of the 50 major cities with the world’s highest murder rates are in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Educational opportunities are unequally distributed between the middle and upper classes and the poorer population. About 5 million children do not attend primary school. These are mostly children with indigenous or African-American roots who live in rural areas. However, children who attend school also show considerable deficits in many cases, as they do not receive learning support at home. According to the UNESCO statistical institute, almost a quarter of young people do not complete secondary education. For children from poor households, this applies to more than half.

Around 134 million of the more than 650 million inhabitants work in the informal sector and keep their heads just above water with casual jobs. Only about 5% of the population receives state support in case of unemployment.

The United Nations Development Programme estimates that in 2017, around 2.3 million people will be living in poverty and a further 30 million in acute danger of falling into poverty.

In Latin America, we focus on providing learning support to children and young people in poor areas and accompanying them to employment. This is done through education and vocational training programs. It is always the aim of help alliance to show them a way out of drug trafficking and organized crime. In Mexico, for example, girls with a difficult family background find a safe home in the project’s own center. There they receive access to education as well as psychological support and find a world away from domestic violence and drugs.

With 23% of the world’s forests and 27% of its fresh water, Latin America plays an important role in the global ecosystem. This makes it even more important to act responsibly and not to promote economic growth through the exploitation of natural resources. That is why we focus on the responsible use of nature and available resources in all our projects in the region. The youth center in Sao Lourenco da Mata, for example, provides information on recycling and the reduction of plastic waste. This also plays out in daily operations, so that the children and young people learn this during normal activities such as sports, music, and tutoring.