About La Esperanza
In Cartagena, Colombia, poverty is rampant, affecting nearly half of its citizens. Destitute families and marginalized refugees live in the shadows of a city that boasts a booming tourism industry, rich history and wealth.
La Esperanza, located in the southeastern region of Cartagena, is an extremely poor area, strewn with shacks made of scrap wood next to polluted waterways. These neighborhoods are often home to refugees arriving with little more than the clothes on their backs, fleeing the brutal guerilla warfare that plagues the rural part of Colombia. In La Esperanza, kids face the threat of violence, gang recruitment and ever-present pressure to use drugs and alcohol.
It’s fitting that esperanza is the Spanish word for “hope.” Children International has been serving La Esperanza for more than 25 years with vital benefits, programs and activities for kids living in one of the most impoverished areas of Colombia, providing hope for a better life for Cartagena’s young people.