- Veniños
Veniños - Venezuelan Children in Need - is a UK registered
charity , dedicated to improving the lives of street and shanty town children in urban Venezuela. It has no religious or political affiliation. The funds raised by Veniños are used to support projects run by well respected non-governmental organisations operating in Venezuela". [ [http://www.veninos.org Veniños - Venezuelan Children In Need ] ]Veniños was founded by a group of British people that lived in Venezuela for many years. During that time they witnessed, on first hand, the reality of street and shanty town children. These people actively worked with organizations aimed at overcome the difficulties originated by poverty and, after coming back to the UK, they were willing to keep helping some worthwhile projects. They looked for means to join talents in Britain with those that might be inspired by the same idea and may be willing to help.
Lisa Tylee, one of Veniños founders, lived in Venezuela and in her experience, “having worked with street and shanty town children in Venezuela though, I know that these children need our support and our understanding to help them improve their lives... so I hope that by raising awareness, as well as funds, we can help these children.”
From 2003, Trustees and Volunteers have put together time and effort to raise awareness and money to support a series of projects that are closely monitored and that are designed to make a positive impact on the lives of children living on poverty in Venezuela.
Ongoing projects: Walking the walk
In Venezuelan neighbourhoods such as “Los Samanes” or “Los Rosales”, Veniños has worked with communities and local charity groups to develop sustainable educational and sport projects. Trough supporting local teachers, childcare centres and sponsoring sport clubs, these initiatives bring more opportunities and a better standard of life to children and youth.
In more recent projects, Veniños have helped Hogar Bambi -a children care centre- to fund a lawyer to provide children with their identity papers. This problem is a common situation in Venezuela and it delays the child's access to the education system. You can find more information about Veniños work on Veniños Newsletters or on their Projects’ page [ [http://www.veninos.org/projects.html Veniños - Venezuelan Children In Need ] ] Further information about Hogar Bambi, can be found their web site [ [http://www.hogarbambi.org/seccion.asp?pid=66&sid=2855/ Hogar Bambi Venezuela ] ]
Fundraising activities: Awareness and funds with creativity
With Volunteers groups in different cities, hundreds of persons have joined their talents to help to Veniños cause and make a difference. Every initiative has come from each local community: running marathons and organising music concerts in London, auctioning paints and pictures on Nottingham, hosting Salsa parties on Aberdeen or walking large distances from Yorkshire to Scotland, Venezuelans and people form different countries have found their own way to give their time and effort for a good cause. For the last 4 years, Veniños supporters have being involved with a large series of fundraising events, such as:
The London Marathon 2005 [ [http://www.london-marathon.co.uk/site/ Flora London Marathon 2008 - Welcome ] ]
Savoy London’s Ballroom [http://www.veninos.org/newsletters/veninos_newsletter_october04.pdf]
Big Sur marathon in California [ [http://www.bigsurhalfmarathon.org/Page194.aspx The Sixth Presentation ] ]
Walking Lands End to John O’Groats, 5-a-side football tournaments, Céilidh- Latin nights [http://www.veninos.org/newsletters/veninos_newsletter_autumn05.pdf]
Concerts at the Bolivar Hall in London. With the support of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuelan Embassy in London [www.venzlon.co.uk]
First Venezuelan Art exhibition in Nottingham [ [http://www.veninos.org/events.html Veniños - Venezuelan Children In Need ] ]
The Hydro Active Women's Challenge - London 2007 [http://www.veninos.org/index.html Veniños - Venezuelan Children In Need ] ]
Anglo Latin American Foundation Fiesta
References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
