Coronavirus Response
Pandemic response progress stats:
(March-September 2020)
Through our Humanitarian Aid program:
- 2,146 families have received emergency food relief, that is 80% of the families we serve at the CDA God is Love schools
- 100 families have received virus-protection kits (hand sanitizer, face-masks, gloves, and antibacterial soap)
- 1200 pairs of gloves distributed
- 1200 face masks distributed
Through our Family & Leadership program:
- 500 families have received support from our psychologists and social workers
- 170 families have received counseling services through our Mission Family project
- 40 families have received intensive crisis intervention, including two struggling with suicidal thoughts have been counseled
- 2,240 people have been helped through the 16 family strengthening workshops carried out thus far
Hundreds of families still need your help!
- 50 families in Bogota, many of which are Venezuelan refugees, still need emergency food relief/ food vouchers. Lack of income due to the pandemic has them in critical need.
- Over 1,000 families in Cartagena are in need of emergency food relief, due to both the pandemic and recent flash flooding from Hurricane Iota which significantly raised food insecurity with 60% of the people in Cartagena not being able to afford 3 meals a day.
- 35% of students’ families still have not been able to cover their minimum tuition amount, which helps cover our teachers’ salaries. Our teachers and families need you!
Pandemic response
6,396
families reached through our COVID-19 emergency response
Including
2,206
students currently enrolled in our schools
As of November 16, 2020
COVID-19 Community Impact
The rapid spread of the new coronavirus outbreak this 2020 brought on devastating impact for the families in our communities. The nation-wide lockdown in March led to the collapse of Colombia’s street economy, eliminating the only source of income for many of Conviventia’s families, and bringing with it an increase in violence, fear, hunger, and hopelessness.
When the pandemic began in March, over 50% of the families linked to the projects lost their income source. Families have been struggling to cover tuition support for their children. They usually contribute between $10 – $25 of the $75/month/student cos to operate our CDA-God is Love schools, but economic impacts have made it extremely hard to cover even this amount.
In April, we saw an 80% drop in family’s abilities to cover tuition. In addition, the number of families to cover tuition. In addition, the number of families needing emergency food assistance and counseling grew rapidly.
COVID-19 Response: Life Strikes, Faith Strikes Back.
Our Family Strengthening and Ministry Team has been counseling over 700 families in crisis, working through issues of job loss, health fears, strained family dynamics and more. Our teachers have been amazing in their ministry to the children, working exceptionally long hours and found amazing and creative ways to allow students to continue their education through distance learning.
Our programs and projects at Conviventia are structured in a way that can directly alleviate the socio-economic and health-related issues that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This is why we launched our Life Strikes, Faith Strikes Back campaign this summer, and as the end of 2020 nears, we can see how God’s hand has been at work through this campaign!
Your donation will help provide essential support such as emergency food assistance, ministry, and counseling to families in crisis, and distance learning support and tuition assistance for students attending Our CDA-God is Love schools. By contributing to this campaign, you are putting your faith into action and showing these people that hope and love are both real and tangible.
Your opportunities to help our communities fight COVID-19:
- US$1,000 Sponsor a Teacher for nearly 2 months (i.e. about 7 weeks).
- US$500 Support the School Ministry Program.
This covers the monthly salary of one Chaplain per school. One Chaplain reaches an average 500 students. That’s 1 student reached per every dollar.
- US$250 to Support the School Health Plan.
A single US$250 annual donation can benefit up to 9 students, while a monthly donation of this amount can benefit up to 92 students.
- US$125 Support one Family’s Food and Tuition for about 3 months.
- US$50 Support School Distance Learning.
Helps us cover access to internet services during this time. US$50.00 supports monthly WiFi access for nearly 10 students.
- Any other amount in support of our Life Strikes, Faith Strikes Back campaign.
Pray for Colombia and for Conviventia’s families
As Christians, we must remember these Biblical truths about COVID-19:
– God reigns OVER it. (Matthew 8:27).
– He is IN THE MIDST of it. (Psalm 46:1).
– He is going to do something THROUGH it. He brings good out of ALL things (Romans 8:28).
– He will bring eternal hope OUT OF it. Millions are being forced to face human mortality. It is exactly in times of death and hopelessness that the Hope of the Gospel must be passionately shared.
So, let’s fix our eyes on Jesus and strike back in prayer. Nothing will ever stop prayer’s power and reach.
As we strike back in faith against this pandemic’s primary and secondary effects, we want to recognize that all of our efforts are made possible by people like you- our amazing partners, donors and sponsors. On behalf of our families and communities: THANK YOU.
Below are some testimonies from Conviventia’s families who want to thank you for the difference your donations have made!
Family testimonies from our emergency food relief distribution
God is Love school, Altos de Cazuca (Soacha)
Testimony from the mother of three students at the school
My name is Luz Neira, I’m 40 years old and have 3 beautiful children; all of which are students at the God is Love school in Altos de Cazuca, Soacha.
Due to the pandemic, our economic situation became increasingly complex, as both my husband and I have lost our jobs. Since then, I’ve been able to find work, but only one day a week. We had to delay my daughter’s semester at school and have had great difficulty meeting our rent payments. Receiving this food voucher from Conviventia has been an immense blessing, as being able to provide food for my children has been of great relief. I want to thank the institution for not forsaking us and always reaching out with a helping hand when we need it most.
Cartagena testimony:
On behalf of the Martinez Vivero family, I want to thank Conviventia from the bottom of my heart for keeping us in mind and blessing us with this food voucher. You can’t begin to imagine how joyful we were to receive it, particularly in this time of pandemic which caused my husband to lose his job and it’s been especially difficult for us to meet basic needs in our home; which we share with my mother, my sister, and our two children. I thank everyone who made this a possibility. Thank you for that love that you have of serving others through such good deeds. May our Heavenly Father fill your lives with many blessings.
God is Love school, Cartagena
My name is Carmen Cecilia, mother to student Dayanne from 10th grade at Conviventia’s God is Love school. I thank God for using the people at Conviventia as instruments of blessing for the many families that have been severely impacted by this pandemic, because even in these hard times He has placed it in your hearts to help us. The food voucher that we received through Conviventia was a complete surprise to us. We we’re so happy when we received that call, it was a great blessing. I make a living by selling products through catalogues and throughout all of these months, since the pandemic began, my sales have dropped significantly. I want to say Thank You to all of those who support Conviventia, and for the food voucher which provided my family with sustenance for several weeks. God bless you.
Cartagena Testimony:
My name is Noris and I want to express my utmost gratitude for the food voucher provided during this pandemic. The government safety restrictions have made it impossible for us to continue working. I’m an artisan and earn all my income from selling my products on the street. This emergency food relief was of huge help to myself and my family. It came when we needed it most. This blessing Conviventia has brought into our home, has provided us with not only physical, but spiritual nutrition, filling us with hope and faith in God. We pray that He Himself multiplies everything that this institution has blessed us with.
COVID-19 Testimonial Interview from a woman in our CONECTA Entrepreneurship project