Appeals: Anglo-Latin American Foundation

An untitled collage on paper by Beisilda Quisbert Pema, aged 16, from Cochabamba, Bolivia. The painting won first prize in a painting competition at the Anglo-Latin American Foundation's fiesta held in Battersea Park, London, last month. Miss Pema, who belongs to a large and impoverished family, visits daily a Salvation Army day centre where meals and a quiet place for studying is provided.

The foundation (ALAF) is an umbrella association representing 19 Latin-American friendly societies or other associations all of which raise money for charitable projects, from soup kitchens to schools, helping destitute children. ALAF also gives to the Salvation Army, whose work in Latin America is entirely aimed at children: it has about 130 institutions - including homes, schools, creches, day care and feeding centres - in 14 countries. According to a recent Unicef survey about 100 million Latin-American children live below the poverty line, and some 10 per cent are involved in a life of street crime, drugs, prostitution and violence.

ALAF stresses that it sends all money raised as directly as possible to each project. For instance, most of the proceeds from the 1990 Peruvian Pagoda at last year's fiesta went to Hogar Casa Juan Pablo II, a children's orphanage at Lurin, 20km south of Lima, Peru. The rest was given to an orthopaedic hospital for children in the capital.

The orphanage was founded in 1987 by Father Jo, a Polish emigre who had worked with under-privileged children in Lima for 20 years. Named after the Pope, who made a donation towards its founding, the home now accommodates 60 children, aged six upwards, many of whom have been abandoned or orphaned as a result of the terrorist activity in Peru. The children are taught elementary reading, writing and arithmetic as well as horticulture and agriculture. At 18 they receive a year's extra training in agriculture. Father Jo is keen that the children become self-sufficient so that they can work on the land rather than drift back into the cities.

The foundation is holding a benefit concert, 'Latin America En Vivo]', at 7.30pm on Monday 12 October, at the Royal Albert Hall, London. The concert will include groups from various Latin-American countries: Olodum, a massed percussion band from Brazil, Peguche, a Quechuan band using panpipes from Ecuador, and Sandunga, a salsa band from Argentina. All monies raised will be given to the Salvation Army. For tickets, priced from pounds 10, contact the Royal Albert Hall, telephone 071-589 8212. Further information, from: The Anglo-Latin American Foundation, 278 Battersea Park Road, London SW11 3BS, telephone 071-924 5854.

(Photograph omitted)