Day Shelter for Babies-Madre Tres Veces Admirable (MTVA)
La Plata, Province of Buenos Aires
The MTVA Foundation runs a family living project together with a group of homeless children who cannot be with their own natural families due to conditions of extreme poverty.
The mission is to create family-living spaces together with homeless children, in an attempt to dignify their present and to be able to plan for their future.
It is sometimes possible for the children to return to their natural families if the families find themselves able to support them. This initiative has been run with the support of Father Carlos A. Cajade since 1984.
The Day Shelter for Babies (Casa de los Bebes) is located in the in the Villa Elvira area of the city of La Plata, where the infant mortality rate is as much as 27 %.
The Day Shelter for Babies is the core of several self-sufficiency initiatives led by Carlos Cajade, aimed at creating work for the children and also generating income for the MTVA Foundation.
The Day Shelter for Babies is aimed at children from 45 days to 5 years old and its main goal is to provide shelter, food and medical attention for all the babies who are brought to the house. Around 44 babies currently benefit from nourishment, medical treatment and inoculations and developmental activities.
Once a week the mothers also participate – thereby benefiting from an educational perspective and also ensuring the sustainability of the programme.
All this is carried out in an atmosphere of affection and commitment towards the children and their families.
The Foundation is currently seeking the necessary funds to purchase a mini-van to transport the babies to and from the Shelter on a daily basis.
This would dramatically improve the precarious situation in which the programme currently operates. The NCDO (Dutch National Commission for International Cooperation and Sustainable Development) has undertaken to match the funds raised by the Foundation, totalizing €14.300 ($53.765).The State Ministry of Welfare has been so kind to increase this amount with a subsidy of $62.732. The total cost of the mini van has been of $116.500.
Person Responsible:
Father Carlos A. Cajade
