ANDEAN AID
Every child we serve belongs to God, each one a unique
creature He loves and has given gifts and dreams.
When we cherish them, whether we meet them or can only
imagine their existence in the poorest corners of the world,
we honor God and practice Christ-like love.
Andean Aid is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2003 that provides educational, physical, emotional, social and spiritual development assistance to at-risk children in the Andes mountain regions of Venezuela and Colombia.
Neighborhood-based Help and Hope Centers are established in collaboration with the local Christian church. At these Centers, our staff of teachers and pastors, along with parent volunteers, we provide after-school educational resources and tutoring for children living largely in poverty with the end goal of helping them realize their full potential, and, in turn, positively impact their families, communities, and country.
Andean Aid also operates a variety of programs designed to teach skills to the children and their family members, such as musical instruments, soccer, jewelry-making, sewing and knitting, art, hairstyling, dance, and more.
Andean Aid is structured as an NGO based in Cucuta, Colombia, and as a Civil Association in Rubio, Venezuela, each overseen by a local board of directors. A U.S.-based board establishes policy, addresses need, oversees the budget and is responsible for fundraising. We focus efforts on children who, without assistance, are at risk of falling behind their peers and becoming vulnerable to the multitude of potentially harmful influences that confront them each day, including poverty, drugs, food and medicine shortages, warfare, and civil unrest.
ANDEAN AID IS:
INDIGENOUS. Each center is in the child's own community and is lead by the pastor at the church where the center is located, along with our locally-based teachers and staff. In short, loving adults who live nearby and are familiar with the circumstances of the childrens' lives. Working collaboratively, Andean Aid takes an advisory and administrative role while recognizing no one knows the needs and assets a community can bring to bear better than the people who live there.
DEVELOPMENT BASED. Because Andean Aid maintains long-standing relationships with the people, communities and churches it serves, many children are supported all the way through university.
RELIEF-READY. Andean Aid understands that, at times, serving the poor means reducing the misery a child or family may be in so the child can take advantage of the opportunities offered by Andean Aid. Whether building a new home, feeding the children, or providing dental and medical check-ups, Andean Aid meets every child where they are.
COMMITTED TO RELATIONSHIPS & PARTNERSHIPS. Andean Aid works closely with a variety of individuals and organizations to provide legal, medical, educational, social, housing, career, governmental and other services. We also maintain a close relationship with a local university, the Universidad Pedagógica Experimental Libertadorthe (UPEL) in Rubio, Venezuela.
EQUIPPED WITH NECESSARY RESOURCES. The Help & Hope Centers we operate provide a clean, productive environment in which children can focus on after-school study. Each Center is equipped with the educational materials and resources students need: homework, which their families can not afford to purchase themselves, writing materials, art supplies, computers, and more. We integrate sports, drama, music and Bible study into our curriculum. Each Center is staffed with qualified teachers who instruct and nurture the children.
FINANCIALLY SOUND. Andean Aid operates in a cash-positive position and does not accrue debt. To support our work, we employ a variety of fundraising methods, including donor events, digital communications, social media, grants, donor site visits, church presentations and more. Visiting our Donate page at www.AndeanAid.org/donate is an easy way to support us now.
Importantly, Andean Aid remains out of politics and focused on the needs of the children.