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.

Each year, we are privileged to welcome children into our care who urgently need support and deserve the chance of a life-changing education. In September, we opened our doors to 40 new children at our Abdi Academy in Ethiopia.

Many children in Colombia face neglect, trauma and hopelessness in their home lives. Our Emmanuel Care Center is providing children with the daily support, food, education and counselling they need to overcome such challenges.

Our new project, the Bethany School in Ethiopia, welcomed over 60 teachers from local schools to tour our premises and learn about how the school has become an exceptional place of education.  

Diana and Cleophas grew up in hardship. Their mother, their only provider, struggled daily to provide food. Hunger became a constant battle, and their mother’s health deteriorated. Tragically, she passed away, leaving Diana and Cleophas to fend for themselves. 

Rael’s mother struggled with addiction and was unable to provide for Rael and her brothers and sisters. A worried neighbor found that the children had been left alone to fend for themselves and notified the authorities. Rael was only nine months old. 

Shadrack, Joshua and Praise recently turned three years old and are growing up fast. Today, their smiles are wide as they try on their new uniforms and prepare to go to preschool for the first time, a very different picture from when their journeys first began.

At our Open Arms Village, every new baby is celebrated as a precious gift from God. Here, the aunties in the baby home welcome the newest arrival, a baby boy that was abandoned at a hospital. He now has a family and a home!