September 2020 update

For more in-depth news please sign up to our newsletter. The following is a brief summary of the rapidly changing situation as it stands at the end of September 2020.

September 2020

Colombia continues to suffer from Covid-19, as well as the killing of social leaders and child abuse. The number of displaced people is on the increase due to the killings and the violence, which has been exacerbated by unemployment, contagion and uncertainty.

La Guajira

• The Ministry of Health in La Guajira has closed due to an outbreak of coronavirus.
• 6 Wayuu social leaders who live in Riohacha have been threatened – 4 women and 2 men.
• The children are those most affected by the lack of food, health and education.
• The authorities haven’t as yet revealed how many children have died of malnutrition.
• IMC Colombia was able to provide food for 31 families in the Rancheria El Brasil and 10 in Majayuré whilst following the health rules.
• IMC Colombia is seeking to reach the 58 families linked to the Church in Majayuré who live in extreme poverty.

Fusagasuga

• The problem of drug trafficking continues to affect the population and there have been various cases of threats made to social leaders.
• As a charity we continue assisting the families with food and other basic necessities.
• Due to the quarantine, the children we help have been affected both educationally and psychologically. This is as a result of being shut in, family issues and lack of resources to carry out their work from home. IMC continues to help children with their schoolwork to enable them to complete their year, and has also been helping families with food, rent and counselling.

Bogota

• The COVID-19 cases have increased due to the large number of informal vendors on the streets as a result of the unemployment crisis.
• IMC Colombia continues to work in alliance with the Aposento Alto Church, the families in Ciudad Bolivar and with Venezuelan immigrant families who have been most affected by the pandemic.
• They provide assistance with food, medication and have helped a family to set up an entrepreneurial project.

General news from IMC Colombia

• The team are unable to carry out face to face work with the children and their families, but God has permitted His word to reach more homes using technology. For those who don’t have the internet, they have sent it via audio or written word.
• Pastor Oliverio and his wife Sandra have been working with the children and young people on Saturdays, teaching them various themes according to their age groups. This has helped them with their mental health as many children have experienced discouragement in their studies and depression due to being shut in their houses and family problems.
• Norberto, who grew up on the Granja Peniel farm, lost his job due to the pandemic and has now returned to the farm with his wife and daughter as an employee of IMC Colombia. He is carrying out agricultural work and other projects.
• A virtual end of year celebration is being planned for the children and their families. It will be a time of thanksgiving and presents and food will be given to each family in appointed time slots at the headquarters of the comedor (dining room) in Fusagasuga and in the Aposento Alto Church in Bogota. In La Guajira it will be delivered to the rancherias whilst following the hygiene rules.
• They are working on opening the programmes next year with new projects that allow for the social changes in the communities, focussing more on spiritual support in alliance with local Churches. They plan to work especially with the project of Majayuré in La Guajira, where there is extreme poverty, and the improvement of the schools in the rancherias.

Matthew 11 v 28 - “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Posted on the 1st October 2020 at 12:30pm.