Projects: The Cycle of Poverty and Violence is Being Broken

The Merciful Love Connection dedicates itself to improving the lives of adolescent mothers who come to the Refuge of Mercy in Santiago, Chile.  In 1906, working with Sister Mari, the director of the Refuge, we planned for the future. First we renovated the buildings, including bringing them up to safety codes and ensuring their usefulness for many years.  We provided urgently needed additional space to shelter more young mothers who were being turned away because the Refuge was filled to capacity.

 

Now we continue to focus on education and services that will enable the young mothers to become wage earners and nurturing parents. Projects are undertaken in stages according to the most urgent needs. We support the work of the Refuge through grants, generous donation from churches, and more than three hundred contributing individuals.

 

• During Stage I, a new bathroom was built. Some of the girls come from backgrounds of extreme poverty, where showers and facilities are nonexistent.  A new sidewalk provided safe passage throuh the front yard that becomes a sea of mud during the winter rains. The young mothers' dilapidated laundry was remodeled. Welcome packages were prepared for each new adolescent mother, many of who come to the Refuge with only the close on their backs. The renovations restore dignity.
• During stage II, a leaking and damaged eighty-year-old roof was replaced and structural repairs completed. The sturdy new roof and the structural repairs withstood the 2010 earthquake. Needs for safety were met.
• During Stage III, the 1927 dormitory was transformed into an apartment for young mothers who have no family network and need more time at the Refuge to finish school and find work. The apartment is now fully occupied. A new library with a computer and places to study, a store room (the girls call it “their boutique”  stocked with donated clothing for the girls and infants, and an office for the director of the refuge were created within remodeled spaces. Work at the refuge continues with new efficiency and hope.
• During Stage IV, new classrooms for computer training, cosmetology, sewing, and infant development provide places to meet ongoing needs for job and parenting skills. A computer instructor and a tutor to help the young women with their schoolwork were hired. Jobs skills provide hope for the young mothers’ future.
• During Stage V, the deteriorating administration roof was replaced and spaces in the old building were renovated so that psychologists and social workers can work with the young mothers to help them reenter their communities.

 The young mothers are finding their strength.

 

Completed Projects

Read about and view our completed projects. The images capture the Refuge at work. (Link)

 

Ongoing Projects

Read about and view our ongoing projects. The images capture our hopes for the future and the spirit of the Refuge. (Link)

Copyright © 2012, Merciful Love Connection, All Rights Reserved. | Development by Efinity Technologies