Give a Home to a Child in need from Cartagena

Dear GlobalGiving supporters, the year 2021 started and we hope that this year is filled with happiness and that you achieve your dearest wishes. 

All staff and volunteers are very thankful to have you joined and continue to work towards giving the children a safe home where they are able to not only dream with a bright future but also get closer to achieving those dreams. 

The boys continue enjoying the land, we were able to buy with your support, by playing soccer, free play, and guided physical activities while they continue with remote academic activities. In the meantime, we are collaborating with experts to design the structure that would be built in this area where some children would be able to live and continue to develop happily and healthy with the support of the team and continue saving to purchase the other half of the land.

Due to the economic and social challenges that all communities are facing, the characteristics of the children that we serve have transformed, hence the team identified the need to re-assess the needs of the population and identified that if the children could be categorized into four sub-groups which would allow tailoring, even more, the strategies and approach to help them meet their goals. 

We have made some structural changes to the house to meet the needs of the population from the initial assessment. For example, some children turned 18 and were given a space where they are more independent helping them to have a gradual transition to an independent living environment next year when they will continue with their higher education. 

The goal is to observe these four groups for six months and assess their progress with this approach. The first group would be the children referred by the Instituto Colombiano de Bienestar Familiar (ICBF) to help them reduce challenging behaviors, learn adaptive behaviors, to train their families to provide the care the children need with the ultimate goal of returning to their families. The second group would be children who due to different factors are not able to return to their home and need extended protection. The third group would be children, whose protection has been extended, turn 18, and want to continue with help to obtain higher education. The fourth group would be a pilot group of children who are also referred by the ICBF but in addition to their history of living in the streets also have a history of consumption of controlled substances. Our team is committed to provide the highest quality of services and obtain additional training to do so. 

As we continue to observe the different needs in each of the four groups above and make necessary changes, your generosity is fundamental to achieve this dream that once seemed far away is closer every day thanks to the collective efforts of dreamers and action takers like you.  One of the young boys who turned 18 was asked what he wants to continue doing once he graduates from high school at the end of this year and he said “I dream of becoming an architect and being able to help others like me but if I go back home, my future will be in the streets”. 

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for being there for this young boy and helping him to achieve his dreams, and to show him that he is not alone nor the other boys at the house.

Dear GlobalGiving friends, we hope that this report finds you, your families, and your friends well during this time when we have been challenged to be the best version of ourselves. 

We would like to thank you because in spite of the challenges you continued or joined our efforts to provide a safe home to more than 25 children who have been rescued from the streets and are closer to making this dream a reality.

We have amazing news, we were able to purchase half of the land where we would be able build the home for our children, next to where they currently live. This would help them to have an easier transition by not having to be relocated and continue participating in the bonding project with the elderly facility across the street, where 40 grandparents live, who Fundacion Dones de Misericordia rescued from abandonment. 

In the meantime, while we continue with our efforts to purchase the other half of the land and begin building their home, the boys are enjoying the land by engaging in free play as well as enjoying guided physical activities that are so needed since their academic activities continue being virtual. 

The boys continue to receive the best quality of services from a multidisciplinary team to help them increase their adaptive living skills, reduce their challenging behaviors, increase their socially appropriate behaviors, and most importantly feel cared for. Some outcomes include: nutrition recovery, substance use rehabilitation, dental and physical health. 

Since the month of June the boys were given the opportunity to choose if they wanted to participate in weekly dance classes from a professional dancer with the goal of helping them to express themselves through dance, heal from their suffering, explore their talents, and future interests. The boys that decided to join have shown commitment, discipline, and passion for dance and as a result they were invited to participate in an end-of-the-year presentation by the dance academy where kids from different places would participate. 

Once again, receive a big Thank You. Your generosity is making a dream be closer to a reality, and we believe that together we can do it. Our children receive the love and care they deserve which will stay with them forever, will help them achieve their dreams, and wherever they go they will spread the love and care they receive. We hope the best for each and everyone of you, to continue strengthening the bonds with your loved ones during this time and have your dreams also come true.