Last month I went over how Colombia ChildCare International helps underprivileged children in Colombia, but this month I will be covering exactly why the children in Colombia desperately need your help.

Colombia has been embroiled in a civil war for more than the better part of a century. This continuous conflict has left in its wake a deep mark of poverty, abandonment and desolation upon Colombia’s citizens. Millions of men, women, and even worse, children are forced to live in unimaginably terrible living conditions. This extreme poverty has quickly transformed into misery and is prevalent wherever you turn in certain areas of Colombia.

The following are some eye opening statistics as to the current state of Colombia:

• - In Colombia there are 21 million people living in material poverty (60% of the population), of which 6.5 million are children.



• - Every day 800 children are orphaned due to violence. 50 become involved in guerilla warfare. 2 are kidnapped. 3,160 children are assaulted.



• - Daily 1,000 young women become single mothers. 106 have abortions. 4,219 contract sexual diseases. 80 children are raped daily.



• - 6 children commit suicide every day.



• - Nowadays, 30 out of every 100 children of pre-school age attend school and only 60 out of every 100 children who begin primary school finish it. The main cause for children leaving schools in poor and marginalized areas is hunger. The children have to work to assist the family income, thus leaving education.



• - Only 47% of children between 12 and 17 years of age go on to secondary education. Of those, only 30% finish their secondary education.

At Colombia ChildCare International, our goal is to reach out to these children who are simply being forgotten in a world of violence and poverty. We have started the fight by providing them with food, spirituality, and healthcare, but in order for us to be successful we need your help.

Help us give these children new education options, strengthen their values through spiritual enrichment, and open their eyes to new opportunities in their future!


- Carl Sconnely, Vice President of Colombia ChildCare International

Last Updated ( Tuesday, August 11 2009)

For those of you who are not familiar with Colombia ChildCare International, we are a non-profit, 501(c)(3), Christian ministry organization.

David Taylor, an ordained Assemblies of God minister, founded the charity organization in 1995. Since its beginning, we have been helping the poorest of poor children in Colombia, helping to alleviate the social and spiritual deprivation which is so prevalent there. In 2004 through a mutual friend David Taylor and Carl Sconnely became good friends. Carl, seeing the great accomplishments of the past and the future projects that David had planned, joined the team along with Chuck Cooper and Cindy Jaeger.

To give you a better idea about what we do, below are some examples of current humanitarian programs in effect.

Among one of the largest projects currently underway, the Wayuu Indian Tribe program in La Paz (Guajira Desert) is going very well. Reyes Lindao leads the effort, which provides education and internet access for over 220 children.

The Maico Project provides 100 children with education, food, and healthcare.

One of the most interesting programs is called Kids for Kids. This program provides a male and female goat to Wayuu Indian families. By doing so, the families are able to breed the goats, which allows them to sustain themselves with the ability to produce milk, meat, and cheese.

These are just a few of the many programs currently being carried out to help impoverished Colombian Children. It only takes a mere $25 a month to sponsor an underprivileged child.

Sponsorship enables a child to receive a Christian education, a school uniform, and preventative care medicine. Spiritually we provide children with the opportunity to - receive the love of God's family, hear and accept the love of God through Jesus Christ, fulfill their potential to become all that God has created them to be, and become part of a vibrant church in their community.

Our hopes and dreams are that some of the children supported by Colombia ChildCare International will be able to take their rightful place in society and make a difference in a hurting world.

I will be releasing a new blog every month to keep everyone up to date on current projects.

Thank you everyone for your donations and support. God Bless!


- Carl Sconnely, Vice President of Colombia ChildCare International

Last Updated ( Monday, June 22 2009)