In Ministry to Children (IMC) 

IMC is a charity based in Colombia, South America, whose objective is to rescue and serve street children. Colombian cities all have impoverished districts where violence and disease bring an early end to parents’ lives leaving children as orphans: in addition, grinding poverty fractures families, resulting in children leaving home or being forced out onto the streets. They survive through crime, begging and drugs, as a result of which they are often despised by local communities and law enforcement, who have even resorted to murder to eradicate the problems, dismissing the children as the ‘disposable ones’.

In 2003 a delegation from the church went to witness first-hand the work of IMC and help out. They took with them a consignment of clothing, including a quantity of Blackburn Rovers shirts, and toys. The first week was spent in IMC’s Bogata administrative office, moving on to Granja Peniel at the foot of the Andes where they have a retreat looking after boys aged between 5 and 16. Our guys helped with building and DIY work during the day, and with entertaining and playing with the boys upon their return from school. It was clear that the work done at IMC was turning these boys’ lives around.

Two years later, three of our members returned to meet up with the boys. They noticed that Colombia was changing as it tried to move on from its civil war with the Farc Guerrillas, though deep-seated problems remained and there was little improvement to the lives of the impoverished street children. This time they were able to see the boys’ schoolwork and speak with their teachers.

Find out more about IMC on their website at https://www.inministrytochildren.org/