The Brothers Trust

World Villages for Children supports the education programmes of the Sisters of Mary to run live-in schools for the most deprived boys and girls across the world. We provide equitable access to education for boys and girls and fund school places and all the daily care needed for nearly 20,000 of the world’s most deprived children each year. We work in the Philippines, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Brazil, and Tanzania.

We provide quality academic and vocational education to children who cannot otherwise afford or access quality education due to poverty, lack of adequate provision, distance, and many other barriers.

The wrap-around support we provide s unique. In school, a child’s every need is satisfied. From good nutrition to healthcare, a safe place to sleep, quality education, and social development. The children live in family groups at school under the care of a Mother-Sister who ensures that they have everything they need outside of the classroom. These family groups giving children a sense of belonging and a place to form bonds of friendship with their peers as they live life together.

Pursuing the arts

The Sisters encourage the children to pursue sport, hobbies, and the arts, to benefit their physical and mental health. They use this time to learn something they really enjoy, like music, dance, or art. These creative subjects in school and in their free time gives the children space to explore their creativity and talents as well as reinforcing their cultural identity by learning their national dance style or an art form specific to their region.

We also recognise the important therapeutic benefit of the arts, helping children who have experienced trauma in their early lives to find self expression to boost their confidence, and to help them heal from negative experiences – a result of living in severe poverty.

You can be a part of providing the essential building blocks of quality education that provides children from extreme disadvantage the tools they need to thrive. As a smaller, lesser known charity, we believe that our work deserves to be seen and heard because of the real impact it makes on children’s lives.

You may choose to support a specific project or by giving a unrestricted grant. An unrestricted grant simply means that the funds go to where the need is greatest and to provide the most basic needs for our children including:

• Three meals a day
• Clothing, uniform, shoes
• A safe place to sleep
• Education supplies
• Quality academic and vocational teaching

One of our biggest funding needs is food. In 2023, 57% of the funds sent to the programmes was used for food alone, and with over 62,600 meals being prepared daily for our children, you can see why! We also have a number of ongoing projects, like equipping classrooms, buying new education supplies, repairing the school buildings and many more if you would like to be involved in a project.

It costs just £1,200 to provide everything a child needs for a whole year in our programmes.

By championing of our programmes through your following, you will amplify the impact of your support. You can help raise awareness of poverty in the communities we work in and how people can support and help end poverty through education.