A new chapter in Colombia
Contrary to how you felt about your parents insisting you do your homework after school, it’s a blessing to have mom and dad pushing you to succeed in the classroom.
Most kids in Montería, Colombia will never have a parent sitting with them at the kitchen table telling them to review their flashcards or study for a math test because they are at work from sun up to sun down just to put food on the table.
If the kids in this area do make it to high school, it can be hard for them to imagine what could be next especially when their parents never made it past elementary or middle school because they had to start work to help with the basic needs of the family.
This is the reality for so many Colombians; if you don’t work, you don’t eat.
Make a Miracle expanded to Monterìa, Colombia, almost two years ago. As we got to know the community, we quickly realized that crime and gang activity had a stranglehold on many vulnerable teens looking for a place to belong.
This part of Colombia has some of the highest rates of mental illness in the country with an estimated 17% of people struggling with depression and anxiety.
Every community’s needs are different, so we first prioritized getting psychology sessions up and running when we launched in Monterìa. Since July, our Colombian psychologist has had 150 sessions with members of the community (of course, free of charge), and 70% of those who attended report an improvement in their mental health.
Outside of our mental health outreach, we have seen families travel up to two hours to access our programs like Star Kids and Star Teens, tutoring, and various workshops. At our MAM Study Center, we get anywhere from 617 to 803 total visits per month.
We are proud to share that Star Teens Club has helped reduce school dropout rates by 40% and Star Kids Club has helped kids improve their grades by 85%.
But there is still so much to do.
That’s why we’re expanding to La Ceiba.
You know the phrase, “across the train tracks”? In this case it should be “across the river.”
La Ceiba is a rule community that is home to many Colombians and Venezuelan migrants. 40% of the kids in our Star Kids and Star Teens programs come on boats from La Ceiba every week.
Expanding to La Ceiba will allow us to: -Remove transportation barriers so more kids can join. -Create a safe space for children and teens to study and get education support. -Reduce dropout rates and keep kids away from negative influences. -Offer mental health resources to more people in need.
I have been able to lead the charge on this expansion to La Ceiba, and I am excited to report:
-We’ve already approved students from La Ceiba for scholarships.- Local volunteers are eager to help us get up and running.-The community president has offered us a space to use which helps cut down on costs.
After we are up and running in La Ceiba, we are going to be setting up shop in another town called Cereté, a city of over 50,000 people that desperately needs mental health resources and a safe place for kids to be kids.
We already have a scholarship student from Cereté whose family is helping us connect with local leaders, schools, and organizations to make our expansion there possible.
This is just the beginning.
By expanding, we’re not just building programs—we are breaking the cycle of poverty for hundreds of families.