REEL LIFE INTERNATIONAL INC

In Latin America and the Caribbean region alone, UNICEF estimates that there are as many as 40 million children on the street with as many as 10 million completely disconnected from their family.

Many of these children are well within our reach, and we have the opportunity to give them a chance at life. Reel Life ministers to orphans and street children in a variety of ways, including housing, education and mentoring. Through your support and involvement, impoverished and orphaned children will receive the love they so desperately need.

Our partnership programs provide development opportunities for both children and adults. Schools for orphans and street children teach academics as well as valuable family and life skills, and teens are able to learn various trades by taking part in apprenticeships and mentoring programs. To assist young mothers in providing for their families, classes are also offered to teach sewing, English as a second language as well as a variety of other useful skills.

“If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day.
If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.”

These initiatives concentrate on both the mental and spiritual development of students, preparing tomorrow’s leaders to sustain long-term community transformation.

The lack of food and adequate shelter are serious needs facing human beings around the world. Extreme poverty is the root cause, as statistics tell a disturbing story of families struggling to survive on very limited income and little or no opportunity.

80% of the world’s population lives off less than $3,650 per year
4 out of every 10 people in the world live off just $2 per day, or just $730 per year.
1 in 3 children in the developing world live without adequate shelter.
Reel Life seeks to provide food in situations where the recipients are unable to help themselves. This may include destitute children, widows or disaster relief situations. In Latin America and the Caribbean alone, it is said that 49 million residents suffer from malnutrition. To combat this devastating issue, we assist with food pantries and other initiatives to help local residents serve the less fortunate within their own communities.

In addition, according to 2007 statistics, 40 percent of the families in the region do not have access to adequate housing. In conjunction with local leadership, Reel Life is also involved with construction and housing initiatives. These projects include simple homes for widows as well as dwellings used in caring for orphans and street children.

Sources: UNICEF, The World Bank & XVI General Assembly of Ministries and Maximum Authorities of Latin America and the Caribbean

Imagine drinking water that is teeming with deadly bacteria, parasites, and waterborne diseases. This is the grim reality for the 1.1 billion people in developing countries who have inadequate access to safe water. Statistics tell us that as many as 3.4 million people die every year of water-related illnesses, and that a child dies every fifteen seconds from a waterborne disease. Countless others struggle with learning and school attendance due to chronic sickness.

Like many other places in the world, the water supply and sanitation in Latin America is plagued by insufficient access which is detrimental to public health. Providing families with access to safe water changes lives. Not only does it save time and money, but also reduces disease and allows for better stability in work or school. The availability of clean, safe water is a foundational component of community development and transformation.

*Sources: The World Bank and the 2006 United Nations Human Development Report

Through our medical ministry partners, we endeavor to bring health, healing and hope to those in extreme need.

No matter what your age, skill-set or experience, you can play an active role in helping to conduct community health fairs, fitting patients with reading glasses, checking blood pressure, and teaching nutrition and hygiene through a variety of games, demonstrations, and printed materials.

Our participants work alongside both local and visiting physicians, nurses and dentists to provide health screenings to low-income families. Not only are these screenings valuable in disease prevention, but also play an important role in treating existing illnesses. Reel Life is active in providing resources for various forms of emergency care, prescription drugs and cancer treatments. In addition, we participate in the construction and renovation of community medical clinics.