Give at-risk Colombian children a safe home

"I was born in Colombia, but at the age of 4 my family moved to Germany. However, I always felt a strong connection to my native country. So, when I finished high school, I decided to go to Colombia and work as a volunteer with Fundación Niños de los Andes for six months in the "Nuevo Amanecer" program, which mission is to embrace and protect children and teenagers victims of neglect and abandonment. As you are aware, this program takes place in a beautiful house that is home to 60 children between the ages of 7 to 18 and the professional team involved becomes the loving parents of these 60 lucky people.

I remember my first day of work. The children received me with hugs, jokes and curiously asked me stuff. However, the next days weren't so easy because they didn't understand what I was doing there. Then, I realized they were always so sensitive because of the bad experiences they went through. My functions in the house were basically supporting the psychosocial team, but the moments of conversation with the children are the ones that will always be in my heart because they taught me stuff you can't learn in any other place of the world. The happiness and faith in the kid's faces impressed me and inspired me all the time. Seeing them so motivated and full of energy in spite of what they had lived, was what most impressed me.

I will never forget the story of a 15 year-old boy that was abandoned by his mother at the age of 5 in a terrible way. Since he was born, she had battered him and she even used to take him out of the house every night, so he had to sleep outside. The only person who protected him was his grandmother, but when she passed away he had no one left. “One day, my mother and my step-father took me to play soccer. In a moment, my step-father kicked the ball far away and they asked me to bring it back, but when I turned around my parents were gone”, he said, “but here I have learned to forgive and empower myself to be a happy person on my own”.

It took me a while to really understand everything he went through. However, the truth is that this story is just one of many others among the children living in the Nuevo Amanecer house. Many of them have been physically, psychologically or even sexually abused for close people. This is a serious issue in Colombia, where the home is being a great epicenter of violence: 42.36% of the sexual aggressions are committed by a relative of the victim, according to Forensis, the National Institute of Legal Medicine. In addition, 80% of sexual violence victims are children and teenagers.

Nevertheless, the special magic of this program is the capacity of changing the children's mind. They usually arrive to the foundation aggressive and full of anger, but after a while, they start changing, become more reflexive and loving. This is the result of the foundation's work based on the "Ser" philosophy, created by Papá Jaime, the organization's founder. This method teaches people how to act from love and happiness instead from fear or hate. I admire this way to think and, personally, I learned a lot with these workshops.

I finished my jurney as the most beautiful experience in my life; these memories will be in my heart forever. I learned to see the world and my country in a different way. The chance to meet these children taught me that helping people is the best way to make your life meaningful and every person has the ability to make a difference in the lives of others.

I cannot express with words the deep gratitude I feel with this Foundation that makes a huge humanitarian work by providing protective environments to the children and their families.

Thank you very much for supporting this project. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please feel free to contact Patricia González, Community Relations Manager, at funiandes@yahoo.com.

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