ASIA/INDIA - Summer camps for children in Indian villages

Bangalore (Agenzia Fides) – Despite progress in the last thirty years, in India more than two million children die each year from preventable infections. Moreover, as regards education, the number of children not at school is still very high (20% of children between 6 and 14 years) and the number of girls who are illiterate is at about 190 million. A truly alarming number of children and especially girls are victims of violence, sexual abuse, and exploitation, often being forced to enter the world of prostitution. The plight of working children is a large problem in a country where it is estimated that there are about 12 million, most of whom have never attended school. For the benefit of disadvantaged children, in the state of Bangalore (located in southern India) there are 15 groups of volunteers from the international volunteer project inspired by the Salesian educational project, VIDES (Volunteers International – Women, Education, Development). The goal is to organize summer camps for about 2,000 boys and girls aged between ages 8 and 15, during which there will be educational activities organized in conjunction with teaching children's rights, as well as lessons in hygiene for the disease prevention. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 07/07/2010)