“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13, NKJV)
You’re already providing hope and a bright future to Latin American children living in poverty. Now, we’re pleased to tell you about another way you are helping to transform young lives!
Chicas de Promesa is a girl’s empowerment club in Linda Vista, a community on the hillsides of San Jose, Costa Rica.
Although these girls experience the love of Christ at school, many are at risk of abuse when they get home … while their moms are still at work. It’s a horrific problem in these impoverished and crime-riddled areas of the world — young girls are abducted and raped, violently abused, by gang members or relatives. It’s happening after school, when children are alone and vulnerable.
Chicas provides a safe place where girls can go before and after classes. Here, young girls are
- learning that they are created in the image of God and have great value.
- provided opportunities to grow spiritually and put their faith in practice through discipleship programs.
- developing life skills to help them fulfill the purpose that God has for them.
At Chicas and Chicos, girls and boys at risk of exploitation are instead shown the love of God.
Chicas began in Costa Rica a few years ago, and it’s already making a tremendous impact. Many of the girls in the first ministry group have gone on to further their education at the university level. And since the beginning of Chicas, the cases of abuse among the girls in our program have decreased by more than 90%.
Recognizing the needs of young boys in the same community, we launched Chicos: Champions for Change.
This program is discipling young boys who live in the high-risk communities where ChildHope partnered schools are located. Daily, these boys are given an alternative to the drug trade that is prevalent in their culture.
Chicos teaches the boys to dream big, set goals, and develop an actionable plan for a better future. As they learn who they are in Christ and are empowered to live out their faith, they are becoming champions for change within their community.
Chicas and Chicos is one more way you are making a powerful difference — transforming children for eternity!
With your help, we will expand to impact more children …
Your gift now, above and beyond your already generous sponsorship support, will make this program available to a young boy or girl in need of intervention — and hope. Thank you for helping us change lives!
[From the April 2018 issue of ChildHope’s Celebration of Hope publication.]