The island of Mauritius,
part of the Mascarene Islands, is located off the southeast coast of Madagascar
and is widely seen an an example of an emerging democracy following its
independence from the UK in 1968. Today Mauritius,
with its population of 1.266 million (2020), is seen as an ideal tourist attraction as
well as having growing financial and industrial sectors. However this rise in
economic growth has seen many turn to industrialisation for employment creating
family strains, addictions and increases in crime. Despite being described as an
island paradise, and although severe poverty is rare in Mauritius compared to other parts of Africa, the country still contains a minority of very poor households, most of which are located in rural areas and on the island of Rodrigues.
In addition to tourism, the economy
mainly depends on exports of textiles to Europe and the United States.
UNICEF report "Pockets of poverty remain, and child abuse and violence
against women, sexual exploitation, increasing drug and alcohol dependency
among young people and the exclusion of children with disabilities all are
cause of concern." Child trafficking and child labour are some of the other problems that continue to exist and the island's tourist income has been severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Despite this, for most living standards are
high with Mauritius in 66th
place out of 189 countries and territories in 2019 when ranked in terms of
life expectancy, literacy, access to knowledge and the living standards of a
country with a life expectancy of 74.24 years (2019). Child sponsor programs in Mauritius focus
on working with orphaned and abandoned children as well as helping children
from poorer families with the equipment they require to attend school and
access to other health and social welfare resources. You can make a difference when you sponsor a child in Mauritius.
Child Sponsor Mauritius: SOS Children's Villages
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Child Sponsor Mauritius: Save a Child (SAC)
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Child Sponsor Mauritius: Volunteer in Mauritius
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