All i want is a name
All I need is my fingertip and your support.
For many street children in Latin America, even though they could sign their birth certificate with their fingertip, actually getting this vital piece of paper is something that they can only ever dream of.
In Guatemala 700,000 children don't have a birth certificate
In El Salvador 670,000 children don't officially exist
In Boliva
23%
of children under 12 don't have
a legal name
They are known simply as 'the invisible children' and are prey to the most unspeakable exploitation.
Although a physical birth certificate only costs approximately £1 in Latin America, there are other costs involved and it is these costs that are prohibitive to children getting an official identity.
Please give a birth certificateMany of 'the invisible children' spend significant amounts of their time on the streets - a highly dangerous place for any child, let alone an unregistered one.
They are not protected by the state and have few rights, meaning that they are open to abuse, exploitation and violence from gangs and criminals. Sometimes, these children just disappear and no one ever knows.
They are simply clinging on to life by their fingertips when they could be using them to sign their birth certificate.
Without a birth certificate, children in Latin America cannot:
See a doctor
when they are ill
Sit an exam, or
advance at school
Get a job
Earn an income
Get married
Be buried in an
official cemetery
On average, we estimate that it costs upwards of £32 to register a child and your donation today can help one more child to gain their official identity and open up the door to their new life.
Please donate todayWith our partners, we have registered over 8,000 children in Latin America.
With your support, we can register even more.
How many street children would you like to register and give new hope to today?