The Situation

At this very moment hundreds of thousands of families live trapped, constrained by poverty.

21.4% of the population live below the poverty line₍₁₎.

If you are in a family of more than three people, there is a 44.1% chance that you live below the poverty line₍₂₎

This is the highest poverty rate in Europe₍₃₎

These figures were all calculated before the global recession in which Latvia has seen an 18% decrease in it’s national income₍₄₎

The majority of the families who we support live in single room accommodation. There is often no electricity or warmth, children sleep, eat, and use the toilet all in the same space.  We regularly encounter situations where the father has abandoned the family, leaving Mum to care for between 3-6 children on her own.

The families manage on hand outs from the government, who in a recent move to balance their budget have cut benefits  from between 30-70%₍₅₎, resulting in parents and guardians wondering how they will make it through the approaching winter, let alone build a future for their children.

These families barely survive in circumstances they feel powerless to change. The infant and child mortality rates are the highest in Europe₍₆₎. Sadly many of the children who do survive will grow up to become trapped by the same cycle of poverty, dependency and a lack of options.

With your help we can change this.

_{References
(1) nationsencyclopedia.com
(2) nationsencyclopedia.com
(3) Eurostat Regional Yearbook 2009
(4) Latvian Population and social conditions:Statistics in focus by Pascal WOLFF
(5) Baltic Times
(6) Leta Newspapers}