About
” 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”, explained a Colombian refugee living in venezuela. 1
Andean Aid is providing something better with our Help and Hope Centers (El Centro de Ayuda y Esperanza) in Rubio, Venezuela and Cúcuta, Colombia. These centers have spacious, well-lit areas to study with tables and chairs. Books, reference materials, study aids, and supplies are available. Computers with educational software and Internet service give these children a window to the rest of the world. Teachers that staff the centers 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.
These Centers are much more than learning resources. 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 the barriers to learning and then seek to overcome them. Assistance may come in the form of food, transportation, medical attention and home repair.
Our goal is a holistic approach that impacts the child, the family and the community.
1. Quote from the Refugees International web site. Article titled, “Colombian Crisis Forces Many To Flee Across borders”
Andean Aid is a 501.c.3 not for profit organization which was founded in October 2003 to provide developmental services to poor children in the Andes region of South America. Founder Wayne Cramer lived and worked as a teacher for a year in Rubio. During this time he grew to love the people and culture of this region and was moved to do something about the extreme poverty he witnessed there.
