Sharing what one has with those that have little starts with an understanding of the desperate needs that exist. The needs for orphaned and impoverished children in Africa and around the world are staggering. The following facts help tell the story.

Education Facts

Nearly 115 million children are out of school in the world, the majority are girls. Out of the 22 countries where more than half the population is
illiterate, 15 are in Africa. Less than 15% of the GDP per capita is spent on primary education worldwide. And about 75% of children out of primary school in developing countries have mothers who did not go to school. An estimated 130 million of the world’s 15 to 24 year olds cannot read or write. There are over 780 million illiterate adults worldwide…64% of them are women.

Child Labor Facts

An estimated 246 million children are engaged in child labor. About 211 million children between the age of 5 and 14 can be found working. Worldwide, 126 million children work in hazardous conditions; and every year, more than 1 million children get pulled into the sex trade. An estimated 8.4 million children work under circumstances where they are forced into debt bondage or other forms of slavery, prostitution, pornography, armed conflict and other illicit activities.

Hunger Facts

Approximately 854 million people across the world are hungry. Every day, nearly 16,000 children die from hunger-related causes. That amounts to one child every 5 seconds. About 5.6 million or 53 percent of child deaths worldwide are related to under-nutrition. Approximately 146 million or 27 percent of children under age 5 in developing countries are underweight. Nearly 17 percent of babies in developing countries are born with a low birth weight compared with only 7 percent of babies in industrialized countries. More than 6 million children die from malnutrition each year. Worldwide, 161 million preschool children suffer chronic malnutrition.

Child Abuse Facts

An estimated 300 million children worldwide are subjected to violence, exploitation and abuse including the worst forms of child labor in communities, schools and institutions. An estimated 1.2 children are trafficked worldwide every year. Where children live in extreme economic hardship and social disruption, they are at increased risk for abuse, violence and exploitation. More than 2 million children died as a direct result of armed conflict in the 1990s with more than three times that number having been permanently disabled or seriously injured. Worldwide, an estimated 40 million children under age 15 suffer from violence, abuse and neglect.

Sources: www.one.org, www.bread.org, www.unicef.org, www.unep.org, www.worldbank.org, www.nationmaster.com,,
www.crin.org, www.ispcan.org, www.ilo.org