Thursday in Colombia

We boarded the bus at 7:30 a.m. Thursday morning loaded with candy and soccer balls.  We picked up Pastor David and his family and then Pastor Alex and his family and started what ended up being a three-hour journey.  It was only about 20 kilometers; even though we started early, the Bogota traffic was a nightmare.

Our first stop was at the office of the office of the foundation, "Hogar Integral," where we met the director.  She explained that they have multiple child development centers throughout the greater Bogota area and that we would be visiting the center in Soacha.  She also tried to prepare us for the reality of the neighborhood we would see and the children's living conditions.  All of the children are between 2 and 6 years old and are from homes in crises (extreme poverty, parents with drug problems, family violence, child abuse and more.)  They are at the center from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. where they receive breakfast, two snacks and lunch.  They also provide them pre-school education and work with their parents to resolve family issues.  We spent a short 15 minutes at the office and then continued the trip to the center.  As she mentioned, it was not long until we noticed that the buildings and homes changed dramatically.  

The director also mentioned that the center was a like a "castle of safety" for the kids and we could see that as soon as we entered.  There were 120 little kids (most seemed between 2 and 4) sitting at tables and the teachers were leading them in songs.  We got a short tour of the facilities.  

Some of our translators lead them in some action songs and then it was time to serve lunch. I don't have enough space to put in all their beautiful faces, so I'll choose just a few.  

The kids had a program away from the center after lunch so we gave them the cookies, juice and candy we brought as a snack to take with them.  There were lots of hugs and big smiles when they left.  Several of the team members brought new soccer balls with them which they presented to the staff.  I know the kids will have fun with them, because the teachers really enjoyed them!

We were so happy that the center was there to help the kids, but understood that it is still a struggle.  Each afternoon the kids are sent back to their homes--the center was not designed to be an orphanage and the kids are not adoptable because the are living with their parents.  Nevertheless, the needs are great--this is one of 5 centers that serve more than 900 pre-school students.  The organization is funded through charitable donations and offers "sponsorships" to help meet the food cost and education costs for the children.  Here's the link to their site if you'd like to learn more about it:  Fundacion Hogar Integral