Argentina

SOS Children’s Villages ensures that children grow up with the care, protection and relationships they need to become their strongest selves (photo: SOS Children’s Villages Argentina).

Argentina, the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, is home to 46 million people. Stretching 4,000 km from the tropical north to the sub-Antarctic south, its history is one of migration, and its diverse landscapes rich in resources. But its political life has been troubled by military coups and governmental instability, while the economy has gone through dramatic booms and recessions. The effects of the 2002 economic collapse can still be felt by many children and their families, as already before the COVID -19 pandemic, 53% of children and young people were living in poverty.

SOS Children’s Villages has been supporting children and young people without parental care, or at risk of losing it, in Argentina since 1979.

Children are at risk

Around 24 per cent of Argentina’s population is under the age of 14 – and despite the fact that 98% of children attend primary school, grade repetition is problematic and secondary school completion is low. In fact, only 67% of the young people attend secondary education. It’s also a country with 54 % of agricultural land where the children’s future is threatened by environmental problems typical of an industrializing economy – deforestation, soil degradation, desertification, air and water pollution.
7%
Of Argentina’s children are forced to work

Child labour

Child labour remains an issue in Argentina, with 7% of children exposed to it across the country. The risk of child and adolescent labour is higher for boys and interferes with their education. The majority of working children either miss classes on a regular basis or do not attend school at all. Deprived of the opportunity to learn new skills, they are likely to remain manual labourers once they become adults.

14%
Of women gave birth before aged 18

Early marriages

Around 16% of girls under the age of 18 are married or living in a partnership. Child marriage is a fundamental violation of human rights that compromises a girl’s development. In addition, 14 % of women aged 20-24 have given birth before they turned 18. Young mothers are often socially isolated and have to interrupt their schooling. These young mothers need extra support so that they can continue their education and adjust to motherhood.

9/1000
Children die before they are 5 years old

Health

In 2020, 6,400 Argentinian children died before reaching their fifth birthday, a number that reflects the local communities’ lack of access to basic health interventions such as vaccination, medical treatment of infectious diseases and suitable nutrition. Most under-five deaths are caused by diseases that are readily preventable or treatable with proven, cost-effective interventions. Infectious diseases and neonatal complications are responsible for the vast majority of those children’s deaths globally.

Together we can make a difference for children in Argentina

1,270
Adults and children
Are supported in the community
1,610
Children and young people
Attend our kindergarten, school and further training
150
Children and young people
Grow up in our care
840
Young people
Are supported on their way to independence
Creating bonds that often last a lifetime. When children can’t live with their families, they are taken into the care of SOS Children’s Villages. We try to keep brother and sisters together, if it in their best interest. In any case, children who live, play and learn together while in our care also form important relationships which will help them in the future (photo: SOS Children’s Villages Argentina).

Let’s keep on protecting children and young people!

Many children have been able to find a safe and secure home. With your help, we can continue to change their lives