Unwanted, broken, fatherless, day-to-day existence, abused, uneducated, illiterate, hungry, desperate, slum dwellers, recyclers, homeless, desperate for love, grime, displaced, victims, thieves, violence, survival. These are just some words that describe the children and families that we serve.

In Bogota, Colombia, there are 12,000 children living on the streets. Some of them are run-a-ways, Others are orphans or have been abandoned by their parents. The abandoned are called the 'Throw-Away Children'.


The Street Kids Project in Bogota provides food, clothing, shelter and medical care for these kids. The work began in 1983 and has impacted thousands of children through the years. In the 1990's, the government was so overwhelmed with the street kids problems, that there were numerous reports of street children being rounded up by the military and police, and taken into the mountains to be executed.

These are desperate children who simply need someone to care for them.

"The Other Way" Drop-In Center has served the street children, providing a place to bathe, get their clothes washed, a place for breakfast & lunch, crafts, a basic education, and medical care. Their facility is currently under renovations, but children who are in danger can receive help at the 24 hour "Strong Tower" crisis Shelter.

The Jungle Club is a unique tool giving hours of challenging and enjoyable recreational fun to kids from the local neighborhood. These kids live in what is known as the 'prostitution zone'. Many of them live with their whole families one rented room.

Twice a month, the doors open and between 100 and 200 kids show up. The kids are given a few hours to enjoy the rock climbing wall, suspension bridge, playhouse, scooters, and more. Then we lead them in worship. For some of them this could be the first opportunity they have to worship the Lord. They take home a craft they made about that day's Biblical teaching. Trust is built with them and the Other Way team starts home visits.

Each year, The Jungle Club grows as we build more and more. This year we painted a mural to bring a real feel of a jungle.

The Jungle Club is an amazing tool for Formando Vidas (Forming Lives Program).

The Light & Life School was created specifically for street kids and is now attended by kids with many similar characteristics with difficult backgrounds. It teaches them important skills needed to not only excel in school but in their relationship with the Lord and others. The school is an important stage in our unique strategy.

If a child can't function in a typical community school either because of learning disabilities, emotional difficulties, bad behavior, differentiated intelligence or age we provide individualized instruction for them. They also receive breakfast, snacks and lunch. They attend Light and Life until they're ready for a normal school education.

Over the years many children have called this house home. Today the family home has the directors of the ministry, 2 of their own children, 3 young adults and 2 other children living there. There are a few others who come for the weekends. And of course there are endless visits from those who are now adults, who call this home.

The Kiwi House is home to various boys and girls – some live here fulltime and others come in for weekend care. Each child has their space as they grow- learning the normal things of childhood and enjoying being children, something that they had not often experienced before coming here.

The kids who make up this home have gone through the different areas of the ministry together. There were 14 of them who lived in the most violent and drug invested slum of the city. Most of them are now young adults. All of them are in different stages of their restoration. The Friendship house is their anchor. Some live there fulltime others come and go as they reestablish bonds with their family of origin.

A few returned to the streets and yet others allowed God to work in their lives and are now serving him overseas.