Caracoles, Cúcuta, Colombia – Children’s hope project
The project of Caracoles began in 2008 and has been gradually developed.
The Bible says at Proverbs 19:17: “Jehovah lends whoever gives to the poor, and the good he has done he will repay.
Johana Lange visit in October 2023
Initially, the services of the Church and social aid and in reinforcement of tasks, were carried out outdoors and in emergency shelters until the completion of an own building.
Today, two church services are held each week on Thursday and Sunday afternoons.
Due to poverty, since mid 2013 a free lunch is offered daily from Monday to Friday to children living in the urban settlement area of Caracoles and they are subsequently attended in reinforcement of school work.
The majority of the neighborhood is made up of low-income families, displaced by the country’s violence, and women heads of household.
“Nueva Ilusión”
When Johana Lange was in Cúcuta, Colombia in 2017 to visit the Caracoles Project, an evangelization with her took place, organized by pastor Liliana Anaya and pastor Diego Neves from the Centro Cristiano Tucunaré congregation. There was born God’s dream “Nueva Ilusión”, which like the Caracoles Project, seeks to develop a children’s canteen that can provide comprehensive assistance to children and families in the area, as well as develop the church in neighborhood.
Since 2017 we have been supporting this project within the scope of our possibilities. A new building was constructed here, which was inaugurated on 24 October 2020. The complete construction of the building was made possible by the generosity of a Swiss family.
“JOSÉ BERNAL”: HOPE FOR CHILDREN
Following the proven concept of “Caracoles” and “Nueva Ilusión”, now another project is going to be realized in Cúcuta, Colombia: “José Bernal”.
A brief description of the neighborhood: In 2012, around 70 families from neighborhoods such as Motilones, Ospina Pérez and Toledo Plata, but also from other communities, started to settle in the west of Cúcuta to find a roof over their heads. Little by little, this area expanded until it became one of the largest settlements in the urban area of the municipality, with about 32 hectares and the name of José Bernal.
During the pandemic, a local team began holding meetings and outdoor activities. Later, a woman donated her house for the meetings.
In early May 2024, a Swiss family made the purchase of a plot of land possible. The land consists of 6 plots with a total area of 690 square meters. Subsequently, soil studies will be commissioned and the architectural project will be drawn up.
