Tag: Venezuela

Jun 7 2010

Walk2gether gives staff members a challenge

Dear blog readers,

Sunilde (left), Barquisimeto project coordinator in Venezuela at the border with Judith, Bogota, Colombia, project coordinator

With an emotional encounter between Colombian and Venezuelan colleagues in Paraguachon, Colombia, Walk2gether ended its time in Venezuela, leaving behind in each of us a process of profound reflection, inspired by shared moments and all the things weíve seen during this long journey.

Also, this encounter between colleagues reaffirms that there are no borders when our unity comes from God. The most important thing is that with this experience, we understand a little more about the challenge set before us by CFCA to give hope to families.

Likewise, the walk allowed us to affirm our own reality in the context of strengths and weaknesses clearly evidenced on the route/trip.

Strengths: ï Beautiful landscapes; ï The presence of our CFCA families (parents, guardians, boys, girls, teenagers and the elderly), giving us their support and solidarity at all times.; ï The support we received from people and families who arenít a part of the sponsorship program.; ï The logistical support on the part of the sponsored teenagers and scholarship students.
Weaknesses: ï The large quantities of trash observed along the route of the walk.; ï Dead animals, the majority of which were run over on the highways.; ï Violence along the roads committed by the drivers of the vehicles.

Challenges raised by the Walk
We are called from this point forward to a series of very significant challenges in our community-level intervention and especially, in our work with CFCA families:

Social challenges: ï Learn to live in community.; ï Respect diversity in its different manifestations: ethnic, political, religious, cultural and others.; ï Relationship with the environment of which we are a part.; ï Emphasize a true culture of peace.; ï Quality education for all.
Challenges to life: ï Respect life. Encourage a culture of life to counter the culture of death that reveals itself to us in the form of violence and threatens individual security.; ï Protection for the lives of animals.; ï Respect for human rights.
Environmental challenges: ï Elimination of trash, starting with the communities where we work.; ï Beautifying the communities.; ï Care and conservation of natural resources.

I say goodbye with sincere thanks for this experience, and for Bob and Cristinaís presence among us as symbols of peace and brotherhood among all people.

Sincerely,
Sunilde PÈrez
Barquisimeto Project Coordinator, Venezuela

South America, Walk2gether

May 5 2010

Singing at the border

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After Walk2gether entered Colombia, Henry Flores, director of the CFCA Communication Center in El Salvador, contacted Judith Bautista, project coordinator for Bogota, Colombia, to see how the walk is going.

How was the experience of Walk2gether entering Colombia?
It was very exciting. It was Saturday, and I was in company of Isabel, another CFCA-Colombia staff member. We did not expect the walk to arrive until the next day. We were at the border, reviewing some plans and, suddenly, we turned toward the Venezuelan side of the border and saw a group of people with traffic vests and flags, and Bob was leading them. I got really excited, they were singing and we started singing back. It was incredible, emotional. All of us from the CFCA team in Colombia, about 60 people, walked to meet them. We laughed, hugged each other. There was joy, smiles and tears, this was an unbelievable moment for me.

Did the Walk2gether group have any problem crossing the border?
They did not have any problem entering Colombia. One thing we were told by the border authorities is that they needed us to keep informing them of the location of the walk every other week so they could be alert.

How was it for you to work with the CFCA Venezuela team to organize the walk?
It has been great! They are a great team: hard-working women and very close to their communities. The project coordinator in Venezuela, Sunilde, and I have an excellent relationship, when we saw each other at the border we both cried, and it was hard to say goodbye.

Sunilde and I have a lot in common. We both share the same spirit for CFCA, the same values, and we both enjoy working with the sponsored members of CFCA. Our dream of finding options for our communities is something that unites us. She is a woman who has done much for the communities in Venezuela.

Sunilde shared with me the rough moments they experienced in Venezuela while walking. In some places, people, in general, understood about the walk, but some who didnít understand were rude to them.

So, working with the Venezuelan team gives me a sense of admiration because in spite of all their challenges, they are doing so much good for the students, families, communities, etc. Their sponsored children and elderly are people with brave hearts.

What is the feeling of the CFCA Colombian team of welcoming the walk?
Looking at the walkers crossing into Colombia is something that we were dreaming about for a long time. In Colombia, we are excited and happy, hearing our voices united in song with the voices of the Venezuelan team was beautiful.

Ending one section of the walk and beginning a new phase is admirable. The feeling is something hard to describe, it is something that you feel in your heart and soul.

Seeing both flags, Colombian and Venezuelan, waving in the middle of the border between both countries, was like being in limbo, where nothing else mattered. I remembered that borders can be drawn by the men but, in spite of them, CFCA reaches across, like a big family, and words are inadequate to describe this feeling.

The flag of unity of CFCA tells us that something very special is happening in the world and in all of the countries where Walk2gether visits.

South America, Walk2gether

Apr 23 2010

Venezuela murals honor Walk2gether and environment

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Walk2gether has left a lasting impact in Venezuela in the form of five murals located along the walk route.

The murals, each about 2 meters by 4 meters, were designed by a sponsored scholar and a CFCA volunteer from Spain. The majority of the work was completed by sponsored youth and scholar students, with some help from parents and CFCA staff.

It took one full weekend and nearly 40 gallons of paint to complete the murals. The mural team split into five groups and spent a Saturday sketching the murals and began painting (the surface was prepped the weekend before). They completed the painting the next day.

The murals symbolize scenes from the walk with a focus on nature and the importance of preserving our environment.

Sunilde PÈrez, Barquisimeto project coordinator, said of the environmental theme in the murals, “We are all united as one community.”

The central theme of the walk is to remind families that they are not alone. The CFCA familyómade up of sponsors, staff, volunteers and other sponsored membersóis with them every step of the way.

“We are all in this together,” Sunilde said. “Everything that we do has an effect. When the walk passes through, it affects all of us, as well as our environment.”

South America, Walk2gether

Apr 15 2010

‘To be more’ is more important than ‘to have more’

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Dear sponsors,

We, at the Barquisimeto project, welcomed with special affection our dear friends, Bob and Cristina Hentzen. Their presence among the Venezuelan sponsored members is a solid witness of faith and hope. This movement is being called Walk2gether: together in our joys, together in our sorrows, together in good times, together in bad times.

Therefore, to us, Walk2gether means:

Creating links of unity and brotherhood.

To be witness to life among our sponsored members.

To recognize in each sponsored member their dignity and their right to a life full of opportunities.

To empower all who bring life to the sponsorship program so they may bear faithful witnesses to their own growth and development.

Through these meanings we join in solidarity with Bob when he says, ìBy walking with the poor, we are telling them they are not alone.î

Walk2gether represents a way of faith, solidarity and hope for all of us that are a part of CFCA in Venezuela.

Walk2gether encourages us to see with kind eyes the needs of our people.

Walk2gether is an activity that holds up humanity at all times, above all else. It gives special meaning to CFCAís statement that ìto be moreî is more important than ìto have more.î

Fraternally,
Sunilde PÈrez
Project Coordinator
Barquisimeto, Venezuela

Central America, Walk2gether

Dec 23 2009

Walk2gether begins in one week

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The walking begins in one week!

On Dec. 29, CFCA President Bob Hentzen will embark on Walk2gether, an 8,000-mile, 16-month journey through 12 countries in Latin America.

Excitement and anticipation are building as families and CFCA staff in Guatemala prepare to bid Bob and his fellow travelers “Buen Viaje.” More than 65 sponsors participating in the mission awareness trip will also be on hand for the launch.

Meanwhile, CFCA staff in Kansas gave Bob an official send-off when he visited the headquarters in late November. Read more here.

Check out the new Walk2gether website, where you can follow Bob on an interactive map, and explore links to his electronic journals and to videos, slideshows and stories about the realities, people and activities in the countries he visits. You can also send messages of support and encouragement that Bob will share with the families of sponsored members and the CFCA staff in the communities he visits.

Walk2gether is a way to help counterbalance the isolation of people living in poverty, and show them that someone cares. The walk will help build community and strengthen the bonds of unity between CFCA’s sponsored members, sponsors and staff. It will also symbolize and promote the unity of countries, races, languages, genders and creeds. Visit Walk2gether.org to learn more.

Africa, Asia, Central America, Mexico, South America

Aug 11 2009

August isn’t back-to-school month for everyone

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As U.S. students prepare for the onset of school, students in other countries have already taken mid-terms.

That’s right. For students in many countries where CFCA works, school does not start in August or September.

The school year in Central America started in January or February. Those lucky children are only two months away from the end of school. Schoolchildren in India and the Philippines are already into their third month of the school year. And students in Kenyaówell, they follow the British system and attend school all year, with long breaks at the end of each quarter.

Find the school calendar for your friend on the graph below.

School calendar

Related links
Time for school

awareness trips, Bob's compass, Central America

Jul 7 2009

Bob’s notes ó Visit to Honduras

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Mission awareness trip to Honduras
June 20-27, 2009

Counting Cristina, myself and CFCA volunteer Dani, we are 37 sponsors this week in Honduras. With this number of sponsors on hand, we have a large number of sponsored families to see. We begin our journey in the North up near the Atlantic coast, and wind up in the Ocotepeque project, a dynamic little corner of Honduras within eyesight of both El Salvador and Guatemala.

As the level of awareness deepens in the course of a CFCA mission awareness tripóand after spending time with their sponsored family within the CFCA contextósponsors naturally start asking, ìWhatís my place in this story Ö what can I add to this song Ö ?î

An important role of the CFCA staff in each country is to help the sponsors understand the ongoing reality of their people. With their true calling and special grace, I find the interpretations of CFCA staff to be filled with hope, a practical and strong spirituality and resilient humor.

Charged political situation
Right now, Honduras is in the middle of a deep and powerful ideological war. In Central and South America, there are deep stirrings Ö in Venezuela, Bolivia, Nicaragua and Honduras. It comes down to a real battle for minds and hearts. The situation in Honduras could result in real upheaval. So, we pray, and we work.

Sponsors and sponsored individuals unite in prayer in Honduras.

This group of 34 sponsors truly has been a symbol of Godís love. Even with great distances, poor roads and storms, they have been generous in visiting many families and communities. Thanked to the point of discomfort, they have represented all of the sponsors, in solidarity with the CFCA family.

From Puerto Cortez to Ocotepeque
This mission awareness trip is hosted by Project Ocotepeque. This project is organized in 13 subprojects with a total of 3,794 children and 109 elderly sponsored, and 161 scholars assisted.

Sponsored children and elderly man in the Ocotepeque project

According to the CFCA trip brochure, ìThe primary purpose of the Ocotepeque subprojects A, AU, and B is the formation and education of the children and their families. CFCA helps more than 800 children from these communities go to school, and develops relationships. Parents are trained in activities like tailoring, crafts, and farming, so that they might have their own businesses and increase the household income.î

At our gathering for families and sponsors in San Marcos, Fanny of Santa Rosa offers an original poem written by her mother: ìThis message is for people that see us and know about our needs Ö people who inspire us to reach our dreams Ö people from whom we have received a letter, a picture Ö thank you for helping in our personal growth Ö we are fortunate to have you here with us Ö we love you Ö God bless you always.î

Staff estimates that more than 1,000 CFCA members joined the group in a 6-kilometer solidarity walk on June 25. The walk finished up with Holy Mass, a nice lunch for all, music and a chance to enjoy a water park. There is tremendous interest in Walk2gether (our 8,000-mile pilgrimage beginning December 2009).

There is great adventure in experiencing the profound learning and love of the sponsors, the CFCA families and the entire CFCA staff. I am grateful.

Cristina and I are now off to the National Encuentro (staff formation) in Bolivia.

Godís blessings.

Bob Hentzen

Africa, Asia, Central America, Mexico, South America

Jul 2 2009

Celebrating freedom

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On the Fourth of July, Americans will gather to celebrate Independence Day with fireworks, parades and picnics. Although the United States and the countries CFCA partners with do not celebrate independence on the same date, we share many customs and events.

In Central America, most countries celebrate their independence on Sept. 15 with parades and music. The running of the Central American Freedom Torch from Guatemala to Costa Rica, taking a total of 14 days, reenacts the news of their independence spreading through Central America.

South Americans celebrate with large celebrations, flying flags, parades, fireworks and feasting. In India, all cities have Flag Hoisting Ceremonies run by politicians and other officials. Indian schoolchildren gather to sing songs and watch the hoisting of the flag.

Under colonization, Haitians were forbidden to eat soup, a meal reserved for the upper classes. Now on Independence Day, it is traditional to eat soup to demonstrate the equality of all citizens.

People of the Philippines celebrate their independence with ceremonies, historic exhibitions and memorial events. Festivities begin with a flag-raising ceremony and parade in the historic city of Cavite, where Filipinos first proclaimed their independence.

We would like to encourage you to research how the country your friend lives in celebrates its independence. And from all of us at CFCA, we wish you a safe and wonderful Independence Day.

The Independence Days of the countries CFCA partners with are listed below.

Jan. 1

Haiti

Feb. 27

Dominican Republic

May 24

Ecuador

June 12

Philippines

June 26

Madagascar

July 5

Venezuela

July 20

Colombia

July 26

Liberia

July 28

Peru

Aug. 6

Bolivia

Aug. 15

India

Sept. 7

Brazil

Sept. 15

Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua

Sept. 16

Mexico

Sept. 18

Chile

Oct. 9

Uganda

Dec. 9

Tanzania

Dec. 12

Kenya

Updated July 1, 2011

awareness trips, Bob's compass, South America

May 21 2009

Bob’s notes ó Visit to Venezuela

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Mission awareness trip to Venezuela
May 9-16, 2009

Welcome
We can be very proud of the CFCA families and of the staff. When I see how much the families are anxious to see us, to give us a hug, to ask for a blessing for their children, to so generously share with us the fruits of their hard work, I am reminded of the community of the early Christians in the Acts of the Apostles.

Motherís Day in Venezuela
Sunday morning found us at breakfast at the corner panaderia (bakery) in the town of Catia La Mar. CFCA-Venezuela Project Coordinator Sunilde Perez and staff member Yanin Castillo shepherded us well, and made sure we had a chance to get to know the members of our group.

Isabel Alvarez gave her customary fine introduction to Venezuela. Isa speaks with the passion of a well-educated yet ìstill poor Venezuelanîóher auto-description. She speaks of the pros and cons of the current government. One of the challenges she highlights is the strong political and social division within the country.

About the same time Isabel was speaking to our group, President Hugo Chavez made two statements on his weekly TV broadcast. The first is a warning to opposing TV stations and media who ìincite people to war.î They are in danger of being closed down and their broadcast license revoked. The second warning is to certain large land holders in the sugar cane area. He believes that they acquired titles to their land illegally. Therefore, these properties may be subject to nationalization. I cannot help but think of the effects of a similar nationalization program a few years ago in Zimbabwe.
Read more

Central America, South America, Walk2gether

Feb 12 2009

Solidarity walk begins the new year

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CFCA President Bob Hentzen and 1,000 fellow walkers celebrated his upcoming walk† from Guatemala to Chile with a solidarity walk in the community of San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala. The solidarity walk, which took place on January 23, was almost three miles long and took about two and a half hours.

Guatemalan staff members and CFCA families organized the solidarity walk as a way to kick off preparations for Bob’s walk to Chile, which is set to begin Dec. 29, 2009. The route Bob will travel will weave through 12 countries (see below for a list) in Central and South America and is scheduled to conclude in April 2011.

During the solidarity walk, the 12 countries were represented by their national flag along the three-mile trek.

We hope you’ll enjoy this video clip of the solidarity walk.

Bob will be walking through Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela and Chile, although not necessarily in that order. The official route is still being finalized.

The purpose of the walk is to facilitate the building of community and strengthening of the bonds of solidarity among our CFCA families, sponsors and co-workers. Bob will use this walk to thank the families for the inspiring example of their daily walk, and tell them that we love them. He hopes to help counterbalance some of the isolation of poverty and offer the poor a sense of identity with the CFCA community.

“On my journeys, I find that CFCA truly walks with the poor and enables many people of good will to do the same,” Bob said.

In 1996, Bob walked more than 4,000 miles from Kansas City, Kan., to Guatemala. His upcoming walk will continue that trek.

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