the child DEVELOPMENT center

Our Child Development Center in Barrancas is in a neighborhood in Bogota, Colombia led by the Philadelphia Church Jehovah Sabbaoth (IFJS). The church was established 27 years ago by pastors, Pedro Nel and Marlen Cuellar. The church has always had a heart of service to the community. In 2016, in association with the foundation, Formavida and some visits later on from Mission Life, pastors Fabian Cuellar and Carolina Rodriguez began to develop a solid program focusing on the needs of the community.

Barrancas is a neighborhood located in the northern part of Bogota. It has a mix of very low-income families to low-middle-class families. Drug addiction, gangs, robberies and other kinds of aggravated violence are daily problems. Many children and adolescents remain unsupervised by an adult at home or they are on the street when they are not in school. Only about fifty percent of teenagers complete high school and most who do graduate do not exceed the minimum standards to enter a public university. Very few have dreams of a bright future.

To turn this around, the center has two after school childcare programs: The Soccer for Life Project where children have soccer training with hopes that some will become professionals and Newton Kids and Teens that offers enrichment activities in science and robotics and experiential teaching once a week. In addition to these programs, the children also receive a meal and participate in activities in the learning spaces of the Discovery Land Bible.

As a sponsor, you have the opportunity to change a child’s life at Barrancas! As you interact with them, you’ll learn more about their background, and you will experience what it is like to love a child in another part of the world and have your life impacted as well.