www.fdbmerida.org Family Home Program for street girls, proponent foundation: Fundación Don Bosco, Mérida, Stato Mérida, Venezuela. The Fundación Don Bosco (FDB) of Mérida is an active organization, which since the 80's develops educational and pastoral actions supporting and preventing diseases to children and teenagers living in bad conditions and socially excluded. Various programs are offered:

• Family Homes for 45 street children
• Morning schooling center for 120 teenagers
• Evening schooling center for 100 adults.

This project aims to reinforce the work for the street girls who usually cannot find any support from any other foundation, as most of them are committed for boys. Particularly we want to work in the district of Los Curos, in the town of Mèrida, one of the poorest and most problematic blocks in town: violence, unemployment, insecurity, drungs and alcohol are among the most common problems. Regarding the girls we can point out problems with health disease, caused by bad hygiene, poor and not balanced diet and the lack of their parents' attention (if actually they are there!); furthermore many cases of early pregnancy, lack of sexual education, no family and girls who become mothers of their own younger brothers. The project is a pilot for the first 10 girls between their 6 and 12 years of age and is based on a thirty-year experience of the Fundacion Don Bosco with family homes for boys - nowadays 35 of different ages are guests. General Aim Concur to reduce the social risk of girls living in extremely poor areas of Mèrida by improving their way of life, by supporting and ensuring their fundamental rights. Specific Task Guarantee protection and total support in order to assure the basical needs of 10 girls in Los Curos between their 6 and 12 years of age, so that they can grow in a proper psychic and emotional way. Expected Results:

• A dietary program for the 10 girls of the Family Home, planned to guarantee a well-balanced and healthy diet.
• A care and psychopedagogic sustaining recreational center, to improve the schooling and the social cohabitation.
• A program for the health care, realized by specialist doctors.
• A program for family care (home visits, particular attention for specific cases and school for parents), for the families of the 10 girls