Repairs are urgently needed to prevent further damage so the children can be educated in safety. (Photo courtesy of INN)
Colombia (MNN) ― A Christian school that serves over 450 poor children recently received severe damage from hurricane-force winds.
The storm "took the roof off, knocked down a couple of walls, and left everything in pretty bad shape because of the rain and wind damage," said IN Network's president and CEO, Rody Rodeheaver.
The storm also damaged the kitchen, making it very difficult to prepare the hot lunches that the children receive as a part of the child sponsorship program. The storm damage rendered three classrooms unusable, so several classes were combined, leading to overcrowding. Also, the destruction of some outside walls poses a security risk to the school.
The school, "La Rosa de Saron," serves the population of the "La Playa" slum community in Barranquilla, on the north coast of Colombia. The approximately 2500 residents of the slum are refugees from fighting associated with the drug traffic in the interior of Colombia, Rodeheaver said.
The area suffers 80 percent unemployment, and 75 percent of the families are led by single mothers.
A team of people will travel to rebuild the school for ten days in June. Since the school was unfinished even before the storm, they hope to add the finishing touches as well as repair the damage.
"Our hope is to not only restore the school but to complete it at the same time," Rodeheaver said. "We're getting the roof put back on, but there's a lot of work to be done in the interior of the school to get it back into shape, to get it safe and repaired. There's plasterwork and electrical, and some plumbing stuff that was messed up."
It's crucial to repair the school as soon as possible. "It's a beautiful place for children who have nothing to receive an education," Rodeheaver said.
The school is also a beautiful place for children to learn the Gospel, which they do every day in chapel. "Many, many of these children have come to know Christ, and their lives have been eternally changed," Rodeheaver said.
The Christians who run the school also make an effort to share the Gospel with the children's parents, who are usually single mothers, or even the children's grandmothers. They invite the parents to attend church in the school building on the weekends.
The school needs $24,000 to repair all the damages and finish construction. If you would like to contribute or join the team to rebuild the school in June, click here.
Pray that the school will be able to obtain the resources necessary to rebuild and continue serving these children.
