Association Volunteers for International Service is an NGO accredited
since 1986 at the United Nations. Its mission is to promote and
support human development in keeping with the Social Teaching of
the Catholic Church.
AVSI promotes development programmes in 32 different countries.
At present it is backing 70 projects for health-care, sanitation,
children care, family, professional training, environment protection,
farming, food security, emergency aid, in various countries in Africa,
Latin America, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. AVSI also follows
about 20,000 distance adoptions in 31 countries. In Brazil it has
worked for eight years. Achievements in Brazil include 20 AVSI centres
in Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiroo, Salvador de Bahia, Sao Paulo,
Brasilia which host altogether 3000 children 0-14 years. A major
project is CREN Centre for Feeding and Education in Sao Paulo. In
partnership with the Federal University of Sao Paulo, the Escola
Paolista de Medicina, the NGO Salus, CREN runs feeding and education
programmes. In 2000 AVSI staff made some 1,500 home visits and followed
with success 200 cases of under-nourishment. |
