Meet Merleidis Maria in Colombia | Children International | Child Sponsorship in Africa, India, South America, & USA

About me & my family

Name: Merleidis Maria
Avg Family Income in Community: $250.00
Gender: Female
Age: 16
Personality: Responsible, trustworthy
Interests: Making arts and crafts, Socializing with friends, Dancing
Siblings:
Nestor David, 18, Male
Luisa Fernanda, 15, Female
Lives with: Parents
Language: Spanish
School: No
Child ID #: 1172916

Learn more about education in this child's country.

About my house

Walls: Cement or gravel
Roof: Tiling
Floor: Cement or gravel
Water source: Water in home
Level of Overcrowding: Adequate privacy
Access to Internet: Occasional
Access to Telephone: Occasional

Learn more about homes in this child's country.

Learn more about water in this child's country.

Poverty in Colombia

Children growing up in poverty in Colombia face tough challenges, such as gang violence that too often involves children, an inadequate health care system and poor secondary-school attendance.

That's why we focus on programs to help keep children and youth off the streets, provide medical and dental care, and offer leadership programs and scholarships to help teens achieve their dreams.

See how our program works and why we focus on health, education, empowerment and employment.

Learn more about our work in Colombia.

How does child sponsorship work?

Your $39 monthly gift gives kids like Merleidis Maria access to life-changing benefits, like:

medical care
educational support
life skills
job-training before graduation.

More about child sponsorship:

+ When you sponsor, what do you receive? Click to find out.

When you sponsor, we'll send you more info about your child, including a photo and a quick-start guide to child sponsorship. You'll also:

Receive photos and updates about your child on a regular basis.
Receive letters from your child, and many letters will contain pictures drawn by your child.
Have access to MyCI, your online account where you can view photos of your child, learn more about him or her, read and write letters and cards, manage your giving, and join our online community of sponsors.
Be able to visit your child and tour our amazing community centers
Subscribe to receive emails and our Journeys magazine to see your impact in action.

+ Need to make a change? We can help.

You can make changes to your monthly giving anytime. Please contact our Care Team to adjust, delay or cancel. And because we've made a commitment that we'll be a part of our kids' lives until they graduate, your sponsored child will continue to receive benefits from the program, and we will work to find a new sponsor as soon as possible.