Brighter futures in Colombia

In the Banana Zone of northern Colombia there is very little hope. Families live in terrible conditions, far below the poverty line and are surrounded by the constant threat of violence. For children growing up in a small, neglected town, the cycle of poverty seems inescapable and the chance of a brighter future, impossible. 

When our Emmanuel Care Centre opened 20 years ago the mission was simple, feed and educate some of the town’s poorest children. Today, it is changing futures, just like Dainer’s. 

Dainer was only 11 when he joined our care. At the time both his parents worked, but their wages were not enough to support the family’s everyday needs and so we enrolled Dainer into our Emmanuel Care Centre. At the centre he was provided with daily nutritional meals and access to healthcare, and the educational support he received was especially transformational. With the centre’s support Dainer progressed all the way through his primary and secondary level education and successfully enrolled into university to study Law. 

During his time at university our Emmanuel Care Centre continued to stand by Dainer and provided essentials like rent, food and study materials. But his success was not merely a result of our care, Dainer took advantage of every chance to succeed, representing his university in athletics competitions, moving to France for a study exchange year and securing a work placement in a legal office. 

This year we received the exciting news that Dainer graduated from university with a degree in Law. Filled with hope, he continues to dream big for his future. Along with working in law, he wants to one day study for his master's degree and PhD and he now has the tools he needs to make these dreams a reality.