Cultivando Sonrisas provides a safe home for girls (ages 0-18), who are at risk of physical and sexual abuse, and exploitation in Medellin, Colombia. For 6 years we have rented a home, but now we must move from that home. The GOAL is to buy a property so the girls and the foundation have a permanent safe place to call home. This project will allow us to buy a home with lots of space, where the girls can run, play and grow, while dreaming of their bright futures that are now in sight!
The girls of Cultivando Sonrisas come from some of the most poverty stricken and violent areas of Medellin, and barrios which are additionally plagued with prostitution, trafficking, and drug addiction. The majority of our girls come from young single mothers who are vulnerable and are often targets for pimps who prey on young girls especially those who have young daughters. Some of the girl's parents are in prison, and some of the girl's parents have abandoned them all together.
We are currently providing a safe and loving home for 20 girls, the oldest of which is 12. We provide not only the basic needs for each girl, including a bed, clothing, and food, we provide educational support and a loving family environment in which they have the support they need to not only grow but thrive! We aim to help each girl complete their education successfully and have a smooth transition into adulthood, the way any parent would want for their own child!
This project will not only allow us to be able provide optimal healing and development for the girls we serve, but also will allow us to serve more children who's lives are still at risk. In addition to the girls currently living at the foundation, we have contact with 250 other children who are still in harms way. We do what we can by providing food, clothing and school supplies, but for many of them this is not enough. Help us to ensure more bright futures for these young children!
This project has provided additional documentation in a DOCX file (projdoc.docx).
