Diócese of La Dorada, Colombia
Diócese of La Dorada – La Dorada Foodbank and COVID-19 Support Project
The Pastoral Social Caritas of the Diocese of La Dorada in Colombia has been helping the local people in La Dorada since 1984. The Diocese provides spiritual and social support as well as nutritional support through their food bank. It provides food for local kindergartens and soup kitchens that serve the poor in the area.
Poverty and lack of access to food has been a long-term problem in Colombia. 27% of the population is living in poverty. 7% living in extreme poverty. Lacking the most basic supplies for survival such as shelter, water and food. In rural areas this number of persons living in extreme poverty rises to 15%. The Diocese supports the persons that find themselves without the financial means to acquire enough food to feed their families.
The foodbank of La Dorada serves 200 families (over 700 persons) with food and basic hygiene supplies to ensure that all the members of the family are fed and cared for. Especially during this very trying time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Aside from their own foodbank they support the CORVOFI, a local foodbank, which serves 60 warm lunches every day to adults in poor rural areas. They also support the Restaurant of Padre Diego. This restaurant serves 300 warm lunches per week to adolescents, adults and elderly homeless people in the Dorada area.
History
Colombia is the second largest country in South America with a population of 47.7 million people. Surveys and reports have shown that at least 41% of Colombian households live in conditions of food insecurity in urban areas. While in rural areas this percentage goes up to 58.8%. Between 15’000 to 40’000 people die yearly from the consequences of hunger. Although in the past there were many large international NGO’s helping the poorest populations in Colombia by providing food, the number of people finding themselves in difficulties due to food insecurity have significantly increased in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. With many people losing their jobs or unable to earn a living wage during the lockdown. The people of La Dorada required more help than ever before.
The Diocese of La Dorada was founded in 1984 by Pope John Paul II and Monsignor Hency Martinez Vargas to serve the approximate 390’000 persons living in La Dorada. It spread out over an area of 8’000 square kilometres. The Pastoral Social Caritas of La Dorada was founded as a non-profit organization in 1985. The mission is to help support the local people with food, water and shelter. In 2005, the Pastoral Social Caritas of La Dorada was officially recognized as a non-governmental organization.
Mission
The mission of the Social Caritas of the Diocese of La Dorada is to provide spiritual and nutritional support for the most needy and vulnerable people in the Dorada area. Through their foodbank which serves 200 families from 7 parishes spread out across La Dorada. As well as through their support of 2 other local foodbanks that support homeless people and poor people with daily meals.
The Project supported by the Caritas Pro Vitae Gradu Charitable Trust
Thanks to our continued support the Diocese of La Dorada was able to increase their foodbank capacity from serving 80 families per month with food and hygiene items to 200 families per month from July 2020 onwards.
In the first 6 months of our collaboration, the Diocese of La Dorada was able to support 220 families in need per month and to follow up with them on their health status throughout the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic and to provide them with much needed sanitary items.