AMERICA/PERU - The Church in Peru gives children in need a home and loving care in Catholic homes, medical centres and feeding centres

Lima (Fides Service) - The Church in Peru gives children in need a home and loving care in Catholic homes, medical centres and feeding centres all over the country says Bishop Adriano Tomasi, auxiliary of Lima. There are numerous Catholic homes in Peru which care for children who have suffered abuse, trauma, children in need of food and clothing and medical care. These centres are run by religious communities with support from foreign NGOs and Caritas for supplies of food and clothing.
The Church cares for children with mental or physical disabilities, providing besides health care also spiritual care with catechesis, celebration of the sacraments, support for parents. These centres are run mainly by St John of God Hospitaller Brothers who also train teachers to give specialised teaching. With regard to children with HIV/AIDS the Church provides assistance, helps prevention and also prepares children who will one day be HIV+ adults to face the future. The two most famous centres are “Good Shepherd Home” run by Good Shepherd Missionary sisters and San Camillus Home run by the Camillan Fathers. This centre treats about 2000 HIV+ persons and of these about 600 are children. Both centres care for HIV+ pregnant mothers, HIV+ new born infants, AIDS orphans. Since there is ever greater need a new Home will soon be opened.
All over the country the Church runs feeding centres, health programmes for undernourished children. One such programme ‘Images of the Lord’ offers special medical care, involving surgeons and dentists, to children with facial deformities as a result of accidents or diseases. This programme completely free of charge was started Visi Lima Charity district, but seeing the great need for more programmes of this sort Caritas Peru will make it the objective of its annual campaign Compatir 2006. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 2/2/2006 - righe 29, parole 431)