Colombia

Colombia flag

Hola / Hello from Colombia

Language: Spanish

Colombia is known for its diverse landscape of tropical beaches, dense rainforests and towering mountains. It is also a country where 30% of the people live in poverty with food insecurity and insufficient education. Compassion-assisted children experience these realities daily. But at the Compassion center, there is hope.

Colombia Stats

POPULATION: 51,049,498
70.9% Roman Catholic
16.7% Protestant
12.4% Other or none

94,155
CHILDREN SERVED

317
CHURCHES SERVING

49
YEARS SERVING

A group of children celebrate New Year’s Eve with colorful balloons

A group of children celebrate New Year’s Eve with colorful balloons.

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A boy smiles while sitting on a fence near his home

A boy smiles while sitting on a fence near his home.

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Children learn soccer skills at their child development center

Children learn soccer skills at their child development center.

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A girl sits in a chicken pen holding a chick in her hand

A girl sits in a chicken pen holding a chick in her hand.

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Three brothers from northern Colombia smile as they run down a dirt road

Three brothers from northern Colombia smile as they run down a dirt road.

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A baby boy splashes in his bathtub

A baby boy splashes in his bathtub.

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Girls and boys who are learning to farm wave their straw hats to welcome visitors

Girls and boys who are learning to farm wave their straw hats to welcome visitors.

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Children wash their hands

Children learn to practice good hygiene as they stand in line to wash their hands at their child development center.

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A girl hangs her feet in water off of a dock

A girl smiles as she splashes her feet in the river.

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A boy holds a sign that says "Thank You"

A boy holds a “thank you” sign to represent his gratitude.

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5 FACTS ABOUT COLOMBIA

  1. It is home to the Amazon rainforest, the Andes Mountains, and the Caribbean and Pacific coastlines, offering a wide range of ecosystems and rich flora and fauna.
  2. Colombia is the world's leading producer of high-quality emeralds.
  3. It has a rich coffee heritage and is famous for its high-quality Arabica coffee beans.
  4. The country is known for its vibrant salsa music and dance culture.
  5. It is home to the "River of Five Colors," also known as Caño Cristales.

IMPROVING NUTRITION IN COLOMBIA

Issue: Colombia’s poorest people live in rural areas, where 43% are food insecure — which means they don’t know where their next meal may come from. In indigenous communities on the coast, 90% of children under age 5 are malnourished.

Response: Compassion child development centers offer healthy snacks and lunches for every child. Designed to provide nutrition that may be missing from typical diets, these meals often contain rice and beans to keep hungry bellies full and foster healthy growth.

Prayer Point: Pray for the overall health and growth of Colombia’s neediest children, that they’ll overcome the chronic undernutrition that can affect their cognitive development.

A mother feeding her young child

Beneficiaries receive nutritional support from their child development centers.

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Visit the Compassion blog to learn more about our work in Colombia.

Did You Know?

Colombia has an extremely varied and beautiful landscape. It is home to snow-covered volcanoes and mountains, tropical beaches, vast grasslands and dense jungles.

Sponsor a Child in Colombia

Life in Colombia

Colombia Fast Facts

Official Name: Republic of Colombia

Form of Government: Presidential republic

Capital: Bogotá

Population: 49,084,841

Official Language: Spanish

Currency: Colombian peso

Area: 439,619 square miles (1,138,910 square kilometers)

Compassion has been working in Colombia since 1974. These Colombia facts and statistics provide a good picture of the reality of poverty and how child sponsorship through Compassion is making a difference.

Poverty is a problem in the country of Colombia but with your support, Compassion is working to change this. The Colombia facts tell a difficult story, but Compassion is bringing hope in the midst of the difficulties. Our programs are changing the statistics one child at a time.

Don't let the hopelessness of poverty overwhelm you. Sponsor a child in Colombia!