Colombia is a predominantly Roman Catholic country of 46 million people located in the northwest corner of South America. It is a poor nation that has been consistently hit by natural disasters and the spread of conflict. Colombia has been in a 40 year civil war. This, along with the drug trade, have contributed to the orphan crisis in Colombia. Children are ongoing victims of drug trading, sexual explotation and violence--many are made homeless because of this. Girls, orphan girls especially, are more likely to be subjects of the sex trade.
In 2010 there were 577,000 orphans in Colombia. Parents sometimes force their children into child soldiery as a form of "tax payment" and Interpol estimates there are 35,000 women and girls trafficked out of Colombia every year for the sex trade, which accounts for about $500 million a year profit in Colombia.The average age of a trafficked victim is 14 years.
Learn more and connect with Columbia Without Orphans:
Rafael Afanador
Maranatha International Foundation
Carrera 21 No. 49 69
Phone (57 1) 759 1407 / 477 0760
USA Phone 630 570 9208
Skype Name maranata.co
Info@maranata.co
Source: UNICEF