Asociación Mensajeros de la Paz Argentina

Messengers of Peace tackles underlying causes of poverty and exclusion so that people can become self-sufficient and improve their lives.

Click the program titles below for complete information on our work in each sector.

Messengers of Peace Argentina has been providing protection programming for more than 9 years. Ongoing protection programs are currently being implemented in Buenos Aires and Tucuman. Our multidisciplinary staff operates in a variety of conflict and crisis settings, working with governments and NGO partners to create lasting changes to enhance the protection of vulnerable children. Key interventions include preventative actions with at risk families, family reunification, day care centers services and placement into residential homes-as a last resort.

Residential homes for Children
Messengers of Peace believes that the best place for a child is with his or her family. Families provide the most basic protective environment for children.
However, there are many situations where, as a last resort, is necessary to remove children from dysfunctional and or/abusives homes and place them in Residential Care. In all these cases, we make sure that all the alternatives are fully considered before recommending residential care.
Therefore, Residential Care is an out-of-home care placement service for children at risk of abuse and neglect
Messengers of Peace provides Residential Care to ensure that the needs of children are met when they cannot live with their own family. Our Residential homes are a place for children to develop and grow, as well as providing food, shelter, and space for play and leisure in a caring environment. In our homes we look after children with many different needs.
Reunification with birth families is always the primary goal for children in foster care.
When children and young people come to live in our Children's Homes they will have a Care Plan. Their Care Plan says why a child is living in our home, what is supposed to happen while they are living there and what is supposed to happen at the end of their stay. Most children will go home, but a few go to live with other families and a few go to live in other homes. Older children who are not planning to return home, are given help to prepare them for living on their own - this is called Aftercare.
Education is extremely important. Children go to their own school if they have a school place, or we help to get them back into school. Additionally, we provide after class school support lessons to help them to catch-up with their studies.
Permanent connections with family members are critical for children in Residential Care. Those connections must be maintained and supported, or built no matter where the child is living and no matter how long a child is in Residential Care. It is very important that children and young people stay in touch with their family and friends. It is only when they might be hurt, or a Court Order says that contact is not allowed, that some children will not be able to have visits from their family or will not be able to visit them.
If reunification is not possible, other permanent connections must be maintained and supported with the child’s relatives, teachers, mentors, and those who the child knows and trusts. In many cases, that becomes the child’s foster family.
To read more about our work with at-risk children please click here:

STREET CHILDREN PROGRAMS

We are committed to promoting the rights, development and protection of street children in Argentina.
According to the UN, a street child is any child for whom the street is the habitual abode and/or a source of livelihood. In Argentina, there are over 50000 street children.
Messengers of Peace is committed to create lasting, positive change in the lives of street children
Few things are more upsetting than the sight of young children having to forage and beg an existence on the streets of a large city. Unfortunately, such children are a fact of life in many large cities.
Many NGO's (including us and UNICEF) split street children into two types:

Street children who have no homes: They sleep on the street (or without any family environment). Family ties may exist but are tenuous and are maintained only casually or occasionally. Sometimes they go to live in the streets to escape from dysfunctional families (drugs, alcohol, violence). Sometimes their parents have been driven by poverty and the needs of other brothers and sisters to abandon their own child. We struggle to understand the depths of dispair which might lead a mother or father to do this.

Street children who are involved in some sort of economic activity (begging, shoe cleaning, selling): Most go home at the end of the day and contribute their earnings to their family. They may even be attending school and retain a sense of belonging to a family. Because of the economic fragility of the family, these children may eventually end up permanently on the streets.

One thing is clear. However these young children got there, they need our help and protection. Otherwise they will have no childhood at all, and may well not survive.
To support street children, we run day Day Care Centers in combination with Family Strenthening Programs. These programs exist to prevent complete family break-up and children being left alone while providing basic care to children (food, shelter, health, education).
To read more about our work with street children please click here:

What are our Family Strengthening Programmes?

Messengers of Peace believes that every Child should have the chance of a family-based childhood.
Accordingly, our Family Strengthening Programmes aim to prevent children from losing the care of their family. We strengthen families ability to protect and care for their children, and strengthen safety nets for vulnerable children and their families within the community.
The biological family includes the children's birth parents, biological siblings and other relatives. Children are considered to have lost the care of their family when they have been physically separated from their family. This includes situations where:

As a result, children are often placed in institutional care (not family-based care) or exposed to a life on the street, sexual exploitation or child labour. Children are also viewed as being at risk of losing the care of their family when their carers lack the capacity or commitment to adequately care for their children.

What approach takes Messengers of Peace (MoP) to help families and children?

We take a preventative approach. Clearly, preventing children getting on the streets is much more cost effective and better for the child than trying to rehabilitate the children later. However, it is much better to be able to focus on children where the risk is genuinely high rather than diluting assistance across a whole community.
Programme services are directed towards families within the target group. Services are made available to the family as a whole, including all of the children and carers within the family. While children at risk of losing the care of their family are our target group, we also work with their carers, to help them better protect and care for their children.
Working with the community, we offer the skills and support that vulnerable families need to provide for themselves and to be able to care for their children.
MoP Family Strengthening Programs offer specific assistance to some of the most disadvantaged members of society..
Through skills training, education, counseling, and improved nutrition, families become better able to provide for their children and stay together through difficult times.
Would you like to learn more about the work of Messengers of Peace, or about how you can help at risk children in Argentina? If you would like to learn how to support our programs please click in “Ayudanos a Ayudar”!
To read more about our work with street children please click here:

According to official statistics, there are bout 6 million (current estimate) older persons in Argentina, from which 33% live below the poverty line.
Messengers of Peace (MoP) reaches out to the underprivileged elderly through its various services in the areas of accommodation, health and emotional security.
For many older people who don't have a roof over their heads or a place to call their own, MoP-supported old age homes & day care centers are safe havens where they can live their lives with dignity and interact with their peers.
Would you like to learn more about the work of Messengers of Peace, or about how you can help disadvantaged old people in Argentina? If you would like to learn how to support our programs please click in “Ayudanos a Ayudar”!
To read more about our programs with elderly people click here:

Homelessness is an isolating and destructive experience and homeless people are some of the most vulnerable and socially excluded in our society.
Homelessness is a problem throughout Argentina, although it is more prevalent in urban centers, especially in Buenos Aires.
Homelessness is about more than rooflessness. A home is not just a physical space, it also has a legal and social dimension. A home provides roots, identity, a sense of belonging and a place of emotional wellbeing. Homelessness is about the loss of these. Homelessness is costly to the individual, society and the state.
Messengers of Peace helps fighting homelessness by delivering life-changing services and campaigning for change.

Would you like to learn more about the work of Messengers of Peace, or about how you can help homeless people in Argentina? If you would like to learn how to support our programs please click in “Ayudanos a Ayudar”!
To read more about our programs with homeless people click here:

Since its founding, Mensajeros de la Paz has shown an intense humanitarian response to those most in need of help through the establishment of specific campaigns.


		Follow Us Español




	.:Around the World --------------------------- .: Press --------------------------- .: Awards --------------------------- .: Our Supporters --------------------------- .: Gratitude --------------------------- .: News from MoP --------------------------- .: Newsletter --------------------------- .: Success Stories --------------------------- .: Gallery --------------------------- .: Send to a Friend --------------------------- .: Contact us		WHAT WE DO Messengers of Peace tackles underlying causes of poverty and exclusion so that people can become self-sufficient and improve their lives. Click the program titles below for complete information on our work in each sector. CHILD PROTECTION STREET CHILDREN FAMILY STRENGTHENING OLD PEOPLE HOMELESS CHILD PROTECTION Messengers of Peace Argentina has been providing protection programming for more than 9 years. Ongoing protection programs are currently being implemented in Buenos Aires and Tucuman. Our multidisciplinary staff operates in a variety of conflict and crisis settings, working with governments and NGO partners to create lasting changes to enhance the protection of vulnerable children. Key interventions include preventative actions with at risk families, family reunification, day care centers services and placement into residential homes-as a last resort. Residential homes for Children Messengers of Peace believes that the best place for a child is with his or her family. Families provide the most basic protective environment for children. However, there are many situations where, as a last resort, is necessary to remove children from dysfunctional and or/abusives homes and place them in Residential Care. In all these cases, we make sure that all the alternatives are fully considered before recommending residential care. Therefore, Residential Care is an out-of-home care placement service for children at risk of abuse and neglect Messengers of Peace provides Residential Care to ensure that the needs of children are met when they cannot live with their own family. Our Residential homes are a place for children to develop and grow, as well as providing food, shelter, and space for play and leisure in a caring environment. In our homes we look after children with many different needs. Reunification with birth families is always the primary goal for children in foster care. When children and young people come to live in our Children's Homes they will have a Care Plan. Their Care Plan says why a child is living in our home, what is supposed to happen while they are living there and what is supposed to happen at the end of their stay. Most children will go home, but a few go to live with other families and a few go to live in other homes. Older children who are not planning to return home, are given help to prepare them for living on their own - this is called Aftercare. Education is extremely important. Children go to their own school if they have a school place, or we help to get them back into school. Additionally, we provide after class school support lessons to help them to catch-up with their studies. Permanent connections with family members are critical for children in Residential Care. Those connections must be maintained and supported, or built no matter where the child is living and no matter how long a child is in Residential Care. It is very important that children and young people stay in touch with their family and friends. It is only when they might be hurt, or a Court Order says that contact is not allowed, that some children will not be able to have visits from their family or will not be able to visit them. If reunification is not possible, other permanent connections must be maintained and supported with the child’s relatives, teachers, mentors, and those who the child knows and trusts. In many cases, that becomes the child’s foster family. To read more about our work with at-risk children please click here: STREET CHILDREN PROGRAMS We are committed to promoting the rights, development and protection of street children in Argentina. According to the UN, a street child is any child for whom the street is the habitual abode and/or a source of livelihood. In Argentina, there are over 50000 street children. Messengers of Peace is committed to create lasting, positive change in the lives of street children Few things are more upsetting than the sight of young children having to forage and beg an existence on the streets of a large city. Unfortunately, such children are a fact of life in many large cities. Many NGO's (including us and UNICEF) split street children into two types: Street children who have no homes: They sleep on the street (or without any family environment). Family ties may exist but are tenuous and are maintained only casually or occasionally. Sometimes they go to live in the streets to escape from dysfunctional families (drugs, alcohol, violence). Sometimes their parents have been driven by poverty and the needs of other brothers and sisters to abandon their own child. We struggle to understand the depths of dispair which might lead a mother or father to do this. Street children who are involved in some sort of economic activity (begging, shoe cleaning, selling): Most go home at the end of the day and contribute their earnings to their family. They may even be attending school and retain a sense of belonging to a family. Because of the economic fragility of the family, these children may eventually end up permanently on the streets. One thing is clear. However these young children got there, they need our help and protection. Otherwise they will have no childhood at all, and may well not survive. To support street children, we run day Day Care Centers in combination with Family Strenthening Programs. These programs exist to prevent complete family break-up and children being left alone while providing basic care to children (food, shelter, health, education). To read more about our work with street children please click here: FAMILY STRENGTHENING PROGRAMS What are our Family Strengthening Programmes? Messengers of Peace believes that every Child should have the chance of a family-based childhood. Accordingly, our Family Strengthening Programmes aim to prevent children from losing the care of their family. We strengthen families ability to protect and care for their children, and strengthen safety nets for vulnerable children and their families within the community. The biological family includes the children's birth parents, biological siblings and other relatives. Children are considered to have lost the care of their family when they have been physically separated from their family. This includes situations where: Children's carers pass away Children are abandoned by their family Children run away from their family Children are sent away by their family for economic reasons Carers leave the family home for economic opportunities State authorities remove the child from their family (as in the best interests of the child) As a result, children are often placed in institutional care (not family-based care) or exposed to a life on the street, sexual exploitation or child labour. Children are also viewed as being at risk of losing the care of their family when their carers lack the capacity or commitment to adequately care for their children. What approach takes Messengers of Peace (MoP) to help families and children? We take a preventative approach. Clearly, preventing children getting on the streets is much more cost effective and better for the child than trying to rehabilitate the children later. However, it is much better to be able to focus on children where the risk is genuinely high rather than diluting assistance across a whole community. Programme services are directed towards families within the target group. Services are made available to the family as a whole, including all of the children and carers within the family. While children at risk of losing the care of their family are our target group, we also work with their carers, to help them better protect and care for their children. Working with the community, we offer the skills and support that vulnerable families need to provide for themselves and to be able to care for their children. MoP Family Strengthening Programs offer specific assistance to some of the most disadvantaged members of society.. Through skills training, education, counseling, and improved nutrition, families become better able to provide for their children and stay together through difficult times. Would you like to learn more about the work of Messengers of Peace, or about how you can help at risk children in Argentina? If you would like to learn how to support our programs please click in “Ayudanos a Ayudar”! To read more about our work with street children please click here: ELDERLY PEOPLE PROGRAMS According to official statistics, there are bout 6 million (current estimate) older persons in Argentina, from which 33% live below the poverty line. Messengers of Peace (MoP) reaches out to the underprivileged elderly through its various services in the areas of accommodation, health and emotional security. For many older people who don't have a roof over their heads or a place to call their own, MoP-supported old age homes & day care centers are safe havens where they can live their lives with dignity and interact with their peers. Would you like to learn more about the work of Messengers of Peace, or about how you can help disadvantaged old people in Argentina? If you would like to learn how to support our programs please click in “Ayudanos a Ayudar”! To read more about our programs with elderly people click here: HOMELESS PEOPLE PROGRAMS Homelessness is an isolating and destructive experience and homeless people are some of the most vulnerable and socially excluded in our society. Homelessness is a problem throughout Argentina, although it is more prevalent in urban centers, especially in Buenos Aires. Homelessness is about more than rooflessness. A home is not just a physical space, it also has a legal and social dimension. A home provides roots, identity, a sense of belonging and a place of emotional wellbeing. Homelessness is about the loss of these. Homelessness is costly to the individual, society and the state. Messengers of Peace helps fighting homelessness by delivering life-changing services and campaigning for change. Would you like to learn more about the work of Messengers of Peace, or about how you can help homeless people in Argentina? If you would like to learn how to support our programs please click in “Ayudanos a Ayudar”! To read more about our programs with homeless people click here: Campaigns Since its founding, Mensajeros de la Paz has shown an intense humanitarian response to those most in need of help through the establishment of specific campaigns. This labor is given inside our borders as in different countries of the world + "NIÑOS SOLIDARIOS" Campaña de Navidad 2009 + 26 de Julio 2009 "Día de los Abuelos" + Campaña "Un Regalo lleno de Navidad" más de 600 regalos distribuidos GBA y el interior del país a niños en situación vulnerable. + Donación al Instituto de Maternidad “Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes” de San Miguel de Tucumán + Campaña de Ayuda Humanitaria España Con el Pueblo Argentino + Esfuerzo y solidaridad sin fronteras + Por Ellos + Campaña Alimentaria Nacional de Asistencia a Comedores del Interior del País + Construcción de Comedores en la Provincia de Tucumán + Campaña Permanente de Ayuda a Comedores + Campaña “Soy = a ti”
Designed by Colorsens®

STREET CHILDREN PROGRAMS

What are our Family Strengthening Programmes?

What approach takes Messengers of Peace (MoP) to help families and children?

+ "NIÑOS SOLIDARIOS" Campaña de Navidad 2009

+ 26 de Julio 2009 "Día de los Abuelos"