Andean Aid

Imagine a child coming home from school where he did not have the money to obtain a copy of the days lessons. He sat bewildered during class and now has homework assignments and no resources to complete them. His household includes parents and ten siblings all living in an area the size of a one-car garage with a dirt floor and mud or cane walls. Where would he do his homework if he were able? At least today he wasn't at home fighting dengue fever again.
This is life for poor children in the Colombian frontier state of Tachira in Venezuela. The majority of them are children of Colombian refugees who left everything to escape the violence in their own country. It is estimated that 180,000 displaced Colombians reside in the frontier states of Venezuela. In fact they are the third largest refugee group in the world - right here in our own hemisphere. They live, for the most part, in extreme poverty and have little in the way of rights. One asylum seeker explained," There is nothing here for us. There are no jobs for me. I worry about my children. My life is worth nothing, but I want my children to have something better". 1
Andean Aid is providing something better with The Help and Hope Center (El Centro de Ayuda y Esperanza) in Rubio, Venezuela. This center has spacious, well-lit areas to study with tables and chairs. Books, reference materials, study aids, and supplies are available along with copies of the days' lessons. In the near future we will have computers with educational software and Internet service. Teachers that staff the center provide tutoring and assistance. They are also advocates for these children in the public school system of Venezuela. Children can use the center in the morning before school or in the afternoon and evening after school.
The Help and Hope Center is much more than a learning resource. We bring the children and their families the true source of hope, which is a relationship with Jesus Christ. Also, the Center staff evaluates the children and their families to determine their barriers to learning and then seek to overcome them. Assistance may come in many forms including food, medical care, transportation passes, or home repair.
Our goal is a holistic approach that impacts the child, the family and the community. With a level playing field, provided by The Help and Hope Center, these bright children will have the opportunity to flourish without leaving their families.