Provide Lifesaving Mental Health Care for Teens

We're hoping to fully fund this project as soon as possible!

Columbia, CO0513 | CO0552 | CO0558 | CO0559 | CO0591
837 registered Compassion children impacted

Recently, our church partners in the Atlantico area of Colombia let us know of an urgent need to promote mental health among the youths they serve.

Many children and teenagers in this area have faced violence, abuse, abandonment, displacement and poverty. Because so many have endured traumatic situations — along with the isolation that the COVID-19 pandemic caused — many young people experience low self-esteem and feelings of hopelessness. Some resort to self-harm, suicidal behavior and substance abuse.

We need to meet this urgent request for mental health interventions quickly so that these young people stop harming themselves and start recognizing their value as children of God. Once this project is fully funded, five churches will provide education, specialized individual attention and pastoral intervention as needed to 837 people ages 10 to 17 and their families so they can:

• Strengthen social and community support networks.
• Develop assertive communication.
• Strengthen family relationships. Since mental health issues can drive families apart, this intervention will help keep households together and healthy.
• Develop healthy coping skills.

Would you donate toward this important opportunity for churches in need?

_{Gifts shown here illustrate goods and services used in Compassion’s holistic child development program. All contributions designated for specific funds will be applied to those projects and to administering the gifts. We desire to be good stewards of your gift, and when we receive more contributions for a given fund than we can use, we apply those funds to meet similar pressing needs.}