By RUKMINI CALLIMACHI, Associated Press Writer
Sun Apr 20, 6:46 PM ET

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — “On the day he decided to run away, 9-year-old Coli awoke on a filthy mat. Like a pup, he lay curled against the cold, pressed between dozens of other children sleeping head-to-toe on the concrete floor….” Read the rest of the article here.

An address by co-founder, Diane Ellis, April 19, 2008

I am standing here today, to share with you what a difference a trip working with the poorest of poor can make in your life. I had no idea when we took our first trip to China and Tibet that I would be so impacted by what I saw, but I was. What I now know is that I, that we have been called to champion the cause of these children who live in extreme poverty, who are being exploited, neglected, abused and forgotten. Believe me, I had no plan for this in my life, but it happened.

The faces you see are of children that we’ve met. These are children who live in impossible situations, not just temporarily but permanently. With no one advocating for them, these kids are easy targets for people waiting to take advantage of them…turning them into prostitutes, child soldiers, drug dealers, addicts and slaves. More on Global Support Auction: