Colombia has long struggled with the profound issue of abandoned street children, known as gamines, in its major cities. An estimated 5,000 children live on the streets nationwide, with many concentrated in urban areas like Bogotá, Cali, and Medellín. These children have either fled or been cast out from desperate situations of poverty, abuse, or family dysfunction. Orphaned youths also end up homeless after losing parental care.
Life on the city streets is profoundly bleak and dangerous for these abandoned children. Without consistent shelter, caregivers, or means of obtaining food, threats of starvation and malnutrition are rampant. Illnesses that could otherwise be treated become catastrophic and life-threatening. The chronic stress and trauma of street life lead many children to become addicted to huffing toxic glue or other substances just to numb their daily suffering, compounding health issues caused by vitamin deficiencies and poor sanitation.
Violence is unavoidable on the streets – these children face abuse and beatings, rape, the constant threat of getting caught in gang turf wars, as well as the ultimate violence of astonishingly high murder rates. Deprived of any safety net, many abandoned youths have zero options except entering illegal and dangerous work, reduced to begging, petty theft, drug mule transport, and child sex work. Just to survive another day, children form their own informal gang families and groups, sacrificing individuality for identity and protection in numbers. But street gang affiliation only breeds more violence and leads to an early grave. For the thousands of gamines, existence is tenuous, ephemeral, and overshadowed by perpetual menace – no child should endure a life so fraught with suffering and robbed of dignity. Only through support and societal change can their fate be altered.
The Emiliani Project: Providing a Home for Medellín’s Abandoned Children
The Emiliani Project started in 2012 with the simple mission of providing a home for abandoned children in Medellín, Colombia. Over the past decade, that idea has grown into a comprehensive program aimed at protecting, nurturing, and educating these vulnerable youths. The goal is to ensure children not only survive but are able to live healthy, fulfilling lives all the way into adulthood.
The foundation achieves this by meeting all aspects of a child’s needs – from shelter, food, and medical care to education, counseling, and, most importantly, love. Their services are open to any child in need, regardless of background.
The namesake, Saint Jerome Emiliani, devoted his life to helping orphaned children in 16th-century Italy after escaping imprisonment in war. Similarly, The Emiliani Project was founded by U.S. war veterans who, despite losing faith at times, felt called to serve Colombia’s displaced youth. These veterans brought first-hand knowledge of conflict and a desire to provide the support they wished they had received.
The Emiliani Project runs entirely on volunteer efforts and donations. The Board of Directors receives no compensation, only the profound reward of guiding these children towards brighter futures. They rely on the compassion of the community in the US and South America to continue Saint Emiliani’s legacy of sheltering and nurturing society’s most vulnerable.
There are still thousands of gamines, or street children, across Colombia who need support. While their resources are limited, the care is boundless. The volunteers start by welcoming youths through the doors with open arms, tending to their immediate needs. Then, they begin the hard but rewarding work of healing emotional and physical wounds, reconciling broken families when possible, and providing mentorship. One child at a time, they are making a difference.
