Adopt a Dream, Sponsor a Child

Dear Fundacion Dones de Misericordia supporters, we hope that this report finds you and your loved ones well as we slowly begin a new chapter after having time to reflect on what is really important in our lives. 

A huge thank you for continuing our journey improving the quality of life and future of Tierra Bomba Island children and their families, in spite of the Coronavirus Pandemic. 

Colombians are currently dealing with the economic impact of the pandemic, which has resulted in national protests in seek of additional support from the government or from those who have been less impacted by the pandemic. 

The only early childhood center in Tierra Bomba Island “El Rincón de los Dones''has opened its doors! The dream of many became a reality as a result of the hard work and teamwork of volunteers, visitors, and Tierra Bomba natives. The center is fostering the healthy development of 280 children from the island between the ages of 2 to 6. From 7:30 AM to 4 PM, 280 children are enjoying access to nutritious breakfast, morning snack, lunch, drinking water, and fun activities to develop their fine and gross motor skills, socially appropriate behaviors in an enriching and caring environment.

 The Kiosko de los Dones has gradually re-opened its doors on Saturdays to 300 children. A dedicated team of volunteers prepare and engage in activities with the children that pursue healthy social interactions, promote physical activity and expression of emotions through dance and singing. Children also receive healthy snacks. 

We continue furnishing the kitchen, 15 classrooms, a leisure and relaxing room, a dining room, bathrooms, and outdoor play areas. 

Please continue helping these children by making a monthly donation or a one-time donation. We would love to see you soon, so you could experience the meaningful changes that your donations are making not only in these children’s lives but also in the entire Tierra Bomba community.

Dear GlobalGiving supporters, we started 2021 and hope that this report finds you and your loved ones healthy and happy. 

First and foremost thank you for your continued support for children who live in extreme poverty on the Island of Tierra Bomba to receive nutritional care especially since the additional challenges brought by the Coronavirus Pandemic. 

The Colombian government continues with a selective quarantine that started in March 2020 as a mandated quarantine. We provide nutritious food items to about 900 families greatly impacted by the loss of jobs and income and lunch to 500 children with the support of SOS Cartagena. 

After the needs assessment that our team conducted last year, we started building the early childhood center with the help of volunteers from Cartagena and Tierra Bomba natives who reported being inspired by the President of the foundation and the volunteers who come not only from different parts of Colombia but also from other countries to help paint the walls and other needs. The childhood center will provide services from 7 AM to 5 PM to 280 children from the island between the ages of 2 to 5 which would include nutritious food, drinking water, potty training, activities to develop their fine and gross motor skills, and health check-ups. 

The early childhood center is being furnished, our volunteers are painting the walls working shoulder by shoulder with men and women from the island who want this dream to come true. We are working towards childcare equipment including items for the kitchen, playrooms, leisure and relaxing room, library, medical room, nap room, and computer room.

As we continue to implement the plan from the community needs assessment, your generosity is fundamental to make the dreams of hundreds of children become true and fulfill the gaps that prevent them to fully develop by growing happy and healthy. A single woman in her thirties who is a strong leader in the community was working very hard with some volunteers to paint some walls at the center and when we ask her what motivates her to work to build the center she said “one day I saw a beautiful young woman reading to our children, teaching them how to be good, and I thought - how is that a lady like her who is not from here loves our children so much to spend time teaching them, and I wholeheartedly decided that I wanted to help the children of my island too”. 

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for being that beautiful young lady who one day decided to take action and make a difference, because as she says “ If I change, everything changes”.