Due to Covid, many children in Colombia are struggling to access education. The Emmanuel Care Centre homework clubs are allowing students to still access education and use resources such as books, worksheets and computers. In a time when Covid has changed everything, the Care Centre remains a place of education, love and support.

Here at Stand by Me we want the best for our children, but we know many of our kids go home to sleep on the cold ground every night. This year 85 individuals, families, schools and youth groups took part in our February on the floor challenge to provide beds for our children. 

The children at our care centre recently received a bathtime pack and a school pack. Our staff also provided girls packs to our older girls and each family were given a hygiene pack which contained hand sanitiser and disposable masks to help families take precautions against Covid.  

Since reopening our Bethany School, the children have resumed their classes with added measures to reduce the spread of Covid. Unfortunately some cases of Covid have been found amongst the staff at the Bethany School and the school has been closed to ensure there is no further spread of the virus. As we monitor the sitaution carefully, we are pleased to report that so far, none of our children have experienced any Covid symptoms.

In Ethiopia we care for over 1,000 children at our Bethany School and Abdi Academy and when they reach Grade 8 they sit an important national exam to determine whether they can go on to High School. We are absolutely delighted to share with you that every Grade 8 student at our schools in Ethiopia passed their national exams.

We want every child to know they have people that love and care about them. As a sponsor you can help your child feel loved, special and part of a wider family by communicating with them and sending them gifts. And you can do this all from the comfort of your own home. Here’s how:

Around the world, all of our children are taking on all that life has to offer, protected by a new pair of shoes. Thanks to our supporters generosity to our Shoe Appeal over Christmas, we were delighted to purchase a new pair of shoes for every one of our kids.

Seven year old Aster is a confident, smart and playful student at our Bethany School in Ethiopia.But Aster’s progress was hiding the struggle of her home situation which was revealed to our staff when Aster’s mum, Bekelu, arrived at our project office; distressed and starving.