CUIDAD DE LOS NIÑOS

Situated on the outskirts of the Andalucian city of Malaga on the Costa del Sol, the home is one of four run by the Order of the Brothers of Mary.

The home in Malaga is one of four to be established by the Order and was inaugurated on 19 November 1977. The Principal of the Malaga home is Brother Juan Correa Ruiz.

Determined by age there are two houses within the home: the first house is for seventeen children between infant and 12 years of age; the second is for a maximum of 35 children between the ages of 12 and 18 years.

The home is authorised to provide infant, primary, secondary, and special needs education for the children living there.  In addition, there are a host of support programmes: health, speech therapy, prevention of addictions: tobacco, alcohol, drugs, careers advice, social skills and self-esteem, to name but a few.  There are also a number of workshops teaching crafts and practical skills to help the older residents find work when they reach 18. The Junta de Andalucia give some financial support but only for the children formally taken into care.

Additionally, the home cares for a further 125 children from the shanty-town on the outskirts of Malaga who would otherwise be abandoned on a daily basis for whom there is no financial support. The home clothes, feeds, and educates these children relying entirely on charitable donations to fund their care.

The outstanding feature of the Cuidad de los Niños is the undeniable sense of family and care created by Brother Juan and his team. The young people in his care are a credit to Brother Juan and a beacon for what can be achieved with children desperately in need of love, guidance, and someone who cares what happens to them in adult life.

Useful Links

http://www.cnmalaga.com/
http://www.andalucia.com/living/charities.htm