Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Lima (Fides Service) - Today 17 May the Catholic Bishops of Peru are launching their Compartir Campaign 2006 dedicated to the tragic situation of children and adolescents with facial deformation. The campaign aims to put a smile back on the face of children marginalised and excluded because of genetic or acquired facial deformation.
Cases of facial deformation, harelip, congenital or acquired occupy an important place in human pathology both for their relative frequency and for their repercussions human, psychological, social, family and economic on the affected persons, even more acute if they are children. In addition these people suffer also because of various forms of poverty and lack of state healthcare. Discrimination against people with a facial deformation still exists and this attitude will continue to exist as long as people are more concerned about the deformity than the person. No other part of the body reveals the person’s character and identity as the human face, no other part is able to express feelings, sentiments and emotions more than the face.
In Peru the rate of this malformation is 1 out of every 620 babies, one of the highest rates in South America. Every year about 700 children are born with some sort of defect. Peasants and people in rural areas are the most at risk for socio-cultural reasons, poor nourishment, low level of education and poverty.
In the face of this situation the Bishops of Peru call for reflection and commitment for a change of attitude and understanding the children with any sort of defect have the right to be rehabilitated. The Peruvian Bishops’ Conference launches an annual solidarity campaign , as part of initiatives on the part of the Catholic Church for “sharing of goods”, at the international level since . The goal of the campaign is to promote reflection and awareness with regard to the difficulties and suffering of the poorest citizens. In 17 years it has funded 120 projects in many different parts of Peru, relieving tragic situations, homeless families, abused children, unmarried mothers, immigrants, persons with HIV/AIDS, street children, people with TB. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 16/5/2006; righe 31, parole 413)
