The recent peace deal with the country's largest guerilla group is a huge step forward for Colombia, but peace is more than just a signature on a piece of paper. Conflict has denied millions of children their right to a safe and happy childhood. With 50,000 children killed or disappeared and 1/3 of young people living in poverty, we need your help to make peace a reality for every child in Colombia. 

Eduardo is one of those children. When he was five years old his dad was murdered, so he moved to Bogota to be with his mum. Everything was different in Bogota, gangs harassed him on the street, and at home his stepfather violently abused him. At just 12 years old, he started taking drugs – it was the only refuge he could find. Eduardo heard about a football club set up by our partner and desperate to do something fun he went along. Now, 6 years later, Eduardo's life has been transformed by the project – he has given up drugs, is finishing school and has become such a committed and passionate advocate that he was recently made a "youth leader," with a small salary.

We need your support to help children like Eduardo, who thought things could never change for the better, build a more peaceful Colombia. £6.00 protects a child from sexual exploitation with a month of psychological support.

Children Change Colombia believe that, with a knowledge of their rights and the confidence to assert them, children can transform their own lives, their communities and Colombia itself. 

"I used to think that however hard I tried to escape, my life was bound to repeat the same old story - I'd join a gang, get involved in drugs and crime, and end up either in jail or in the cemetery. Everything changed when I arrived at the project - I started to believe that I could dream of a different life, that every step I took could lead to a better future."

Here’s how you can help:

£10.00 would help empower a child to become a promoter of non-violence within their community.