''There are no poor children in the Algarve.''
I remember a woman saying this to me during one of the first ever food collection days held by ACCA. Of course, many of us have never seen a ‘poor child’ here as we might have seen on television or in other countries we have visited.
But what is poverty?
It is not definitive. But here, poverty is in dysfunctional families; in children who walk to school bare-footed, without food for lunch; in parents who cannot afford a doctor so seek no medical treatment for their offspring; in the eyes and timidity of children who only know abuse; in disabled children where parental shame keeps them out of the way of prying eyes. The list is a long one.
But with the help of people like you, supporting ACCA in all kinds of different ways, many many children in the Algarve have been provided with a different quality of life, and a future where they have self-esteem, a goal to reach and a fruitful life they can enjoy. Your support at our functions and generosity in many other areas are appreciated and noticed.
You might not see the children you are helping, but at some level, they see you.
Thank you
Jane Oliphant
Founder