We are so excited to share that our very first Dream Home has officially launched! AGCI President, Hollen Frazier, was able to celebrate the opening in Bogota, Colombia, on August 4th, alongside Kiersten Luginbill, our VP of International Programs, and Andy Sears, our VP of Advancement, as well as many incredible donors, partners, and members of the Colombian government (Including the new Director of ICBF and Fernando Carrillo Florez, Procuraduría de General). It was an incredible experience and it was truly amazing to stand beside the 24 young women who entered their first home after spending their lives in institutions.
In the short term, our goals with this home are to improve academic achievement and self-esteem for youth, empower them to learn important life skills, and help them to achieve personal and spiritual growth. Over the long term, we hope to create a new generation of leaders in Colombia. By improving employment opportunities and better integrating youth who have grown up in institutions into society, we can break the cycle of the orphan and prevent some of the negative outcomes that are all too common for young adults who have grown up in the system.
This home would not be possible without the generosity of donors in the United States, local businesses in Colombia, and the Instituto Colombiano de Bienstar Familiar —which provided the home and technical guidance for the model. Thanks to the generosity of private donors and grants from businesses in the U.S. (including N2 Publishing and Farris Hufham Construction) and local businesses in Colombia, which donated the kitchen and various furnishings, the home was move-in ready.
This is such an incredible moment forAGCI and for older orphans. We feel so blessed to see this dream become a reality!
Now, we are taking a moment to truly celebrate all that God has done over the past 6 months and we so appreciate your support and prayers throughout this journey. We wouldn’t be here without your support and God’s grace!
It truly takes a village to create real, lasting change for the 8 million orphans living in institutions. We are praising God that because of AGCI’s first Dream Home, the Colombian government has already begun to replicate this new model of transitional care! This model is the first of its kind and is now also being used in a home for boys who grew up in institutions throughout Colombia.
