Brazos Abiertos

In 1992, an American missionary came to Medellín intending to “plant churches,” but he was so struck by the lives of street kids that he decided to found Brazos Abiertos instead.

The program has five phases:

1. Drop in center: It is open every day from 9-3. Every day for two months, kids can come and play, swim in the pool, eat, and do Bible study.
2. Transition. After two months, the boy must decide whether he wants to continue. Three of the boys who come to the drop in center are accepted into a transitional home, where they prepare themselves for a different life.
3. The farm. 25 boys live on a farm close to the city, where they catch up on their studies so they can return to school. They work in the garden and learn to live with others. They attend church and receive religious education.
4. Reintegration. Kids return to the city when they are almost ready to strike out on their own. The Church teaches them how to live with adults, and they take vocational classes at Ciudad Don Bosco. They also learn what is necessary to live on their own: money management, seeking work, sex and relationships...
5. Aftercare. Brazos Abiertos always stays in touch with graduates, mostly through the church.

The relation with the church is very important. Godparents in the church provide money, but they also take the kids to movies and to the park, showing a model of what a family can be. Last year, Brazos Abiertos founded a church dedicated to street kids: it will raise funds, but it will also provide an environment to socialize and welcome children.

Fundación Brazos Abiertos
Ronald Neptune, Director

Cra 49A #37-56
Medellín, Antioquia
Colombia

57 4 217 4467

sfunbra@epm.net.co

www.brazosabiertos.net
www.openarmsfoundation.com

understanding social services for street kids in Latin America