Beneficiaries: 73 children and their families
Completion date: May 2024
Country: Colombia
Executive summary
In November 2022, heavy rains caused by Hurricane Julia battered the northern coast of Colombia, leading to widespread flooding that destroyed thousands of homes, leaving many others nearly irreparably damaged. The devastation has left many Compassion-assisted households in urgent need of assistance. Some families have sought temporary shelter with friends or neighbours, leading to overcrowded and unsanitary living conditions and putting children at higher risk of illness and abuse. Compassion’s partner churches have been supporting families with emergency food and hygiene supplies and were also able to allocate funding to transport displaced families to evacuation centres. However, without repairs to their homes, children’s well-being remains on the line.
Repairing damaged houses is vital to ensuring the safety and well-being of children and families in Colombia who have been impacted by Hurricane Julia. Your gift will support vital structural repairs for the homes of 73 participants in need of immediate assistance, as well as continued emergency aid and temporary housing while repairs are made. During prevention workshops led by a disaster management professional, children and parents will also learn about the importance of environmental stewardship and disaster preparedness.
What your gift will do
Compassion’s safe shelter initiative works to see the following outcomes:
- 73 partially damaged houses receive necessary repairs, with parents or guardians participating in home repair work.
- Participants and their families receive support to access safe living conditions as they repair their homes.
- Benefiting families receive emergency aid, including food and hygiene provisions.
- Participants and their families become more aware of the importance of mitigating disaster risks through prevention workshops.
- Participants generate awareness in their communities to promote waste reduction, care of green areas and good hygiene habits.