Salvador da Bahia

SOS Children’s Villages supports individual children, young people and families so that they can thrive (photo: SOS Children’s Villages Brazil).

Salvador da Bahia is the capital and major port city of the Bahia state in the north-east of Brazil. More than 2.9 million people live here. Brazil’s fourth largest city faces many challenges: inequality, racism and high levels of poverty. For example, half of the population lack decent housing. Children and young people growing up here need extra support so that they can grow up safely.

Since 1980, SOS Children’s Villages has been supporting children, young people and families and advocating for their rights in Salvador da Bahia.

12%
Of people in the state live in extreme poverty

Children living in poverty in the state

Around 12% of population in the Bahia state live in extreme poverty. Regional poverty in Brazil’s north-east forces 1.9 million children (some as young as 5) and young people to work. Over 500,000 children in the Bahia state, where Salvador da Bahia is located, are engaged in street food vending. To support their family, children prepare or sell food on the streets for a basic gross income of $21.26 a day. A study by Universidade Federal da Bahia found that young men make up a majority of street food vendors.

33M
People in Brazil do not have enough to eat

Lack of food

Around 125.2 million Brazilians experienced some level of food insecurity in 2022. This means that they didn’t have consistent access to enough food for every person in a household to live an active, healthy life. The north and north-east regions, where Salvador da Bahia is located, are most affected by the lack of food. In 2022 floods and landslides forced close to 147,700 people in Bahia and Minas Gerais to leave their homes. Since 75% of the affected land was in rural areas, crops were destroyed. This lead to food shortages, and it was low-income families who were most affected.

Your support makes a difference for children in Salvador da Bahia

SOS Children’s Villages works with local partners and communities to offer a wide range of support that is adapted to the local context. We always work in the best interest of the children, young people and families.
15
Families
Can stay together
15
Children and young people
Grow up in our care
Children and young people often get together to talk about the different things that are important to them (photo: SOS Children’s Villages Brazil).

How your support helps in Salvador da Bahia

Strengthening families and communities
When parents face hardships, they can sometimes struggle to give children the care they need. SOS Children’s Villages works with local partners and communities. Each family needs different support so that they can stay together. This support can include workshops on parenting and children’s rights. We also run trainings so that parents can get the skills they need to get a job or start businesses. Likewise, we ensure that children can get medical help and go to school.
Caring for children who cannot live with their families
Some children cannot stay with their families, even with additional support. When this happens, they can find a new home in SOS Children’s Villages. Here the children can build safe and lasting relationships. All the children in our care have access to education and healthcare. Wherever possible, we work closely with the children’s family of origin. If children can return to live with their families, we help them adapt to this change.