The rest of the JIREH story

Jireh rescues street children from a dangerous life

None of the 40 children living on the streets of Cochabama admitted to the Jireh program run by OBADES, the social program wing of the Bolivian Baptist Union, sniff glue, use drugs or alcohol, Tomas Gabriel Huiza (Gabriel), the project director asserted at his meeting with Laurier Heights Baptist Church advance team.

The team had been scheduled to meet with Gabriel at the Jireh site near the main plaza of Cochabamba the first Saturday, but the demonstrations by the camposinos (mainly poor rural farmers) forced a cancellation and the team was not able to reschedule a visit of the Jireh site until the afternoon of its last full day in Bolivia. Nevertheless, it received an insight into the program during a meeting attended by Gabriel on the Thursday of the Laurier team’s first week in Bolivia.

On hearing the program was drug free, one Laurier team member asked how Gabriel could make such a bold statement because Canadians are familiar with drug addiction issues and know the temptations are strong.

Gabriel was un-phased by the question admitting that absolute certainly is difficult, but he has become close friends with the children and that is why he is confident he can make the statement that the street children in his program are not users. Besides, the children all know each other and if one was sniffing glue, or drinking, another would tell Gabriel.

A program volunteer, Mabel Libni Benavidez Maranon, says Gabriel is more than a social worker to the Jireh clients. “Tomas is like a second father.” She says Gabriel is able to solve many of their problems and runs a good project and loves the kids.

The word Jireh means “God is my provider” and through support from OBADES and the Sharing Way, run by Canadian Baptists Missions, Jireh is attempting to address some of the needs of 40 children and it will soon increase that number to 45. If it had resources (space, money and volunteers), it could take in many more. The need is immense.

Jireh offers the children a chance to attend school and provides them with a place to do their homework. Without education they will have little chance to escape the streets and face a high probability of ending up in jail. Jireh also aims at Christian formation, provides one meal a week, addresses some health issues and arranges for some technical training.

Initially Jireh served only shoeshine children, but it is expanding its scope to accept children who live and work on the street. It cannot accept all children who have a need. Younger children are taken first and they must not abuse drugs, glue or alcohol. At the moment glue sniffing is a particular problem and visitors to Cochabama have no trouble identifying the glue sniffers on the street.

Most of the children Jireh serves are from families who have emigrated from other departments (provinces) or from adjacent country places around the city of Cochabamba. The first achievement of Jireh has been to motivate them to study again. Some of them couldn’t get to attend school without the intervention of Jireh because they do not have identification cards. Without identification cards it is impossible to register in school. Jireh helps them through the red tape and provides the children with an identity. Last year 80% of the children finished their grade and advanced to the next level.

Although it receives financial support from the Baptist church, Jireh has a limited budget and does not have full time paid staff. It currently operates out of a small building behind a parking lot. There is one large room, three smaller rooms including an office and a kitchen. Space is a problem. Gabriel would like to rent an apartment, but landlords are cautious about having street children on their property. Gabriel has been looking for two years. One possibility for more space could be provided if funds are found to buy a property adjacent to Casa de La Amistad that would benefit both programs!

A new initiative is to provide scholarships for five children to take technical training at a cost of $20US/month in fields such as computers, industrial sewing and electrical construction.

Thomas Gabriel presents a picture of the Jireh kids to Laurier


In a question and answer portion of the meeting, Laurier pastor Steve Simala Grant offered to find prayer partners for each of the children and Gabriel will forward a list of the children. Gabriel, understanding that Laurier is in a partnership with the Bolivian church, also said that the Jireh children are praying for Laurier Heights Baptist Church.

Laurier member Norma Whittle read one of the prayers Laurier members sent with the team for the purpose of being shared with the Bolivian Church. A Laurier young adult prayed: “That the children and people of Bolivia would see and readily experience the pure love of God that is so unconditional.”

Gabriel was moved by the prayer and the emotion Whittle displayed when reading it. Gabriel said that a verse, Mathew 18:5, helps him. The King James Version, favoured in Bolivia reads: “And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.” He asked that God bless Laurier’s endeavours in Bolivia, especially among the children.

Carlitos rescued from streets he fled to when aged eight
Tomas Gabriel Huiza told the story of one child, now a teenager, who attends Jireh in order to illustrate the problems faced by street children.

Carlitos escaped from his home when he was eight years old, unable to continue witnessing the fights between his parents. He slept on a mattress outside near a lake on outskirts of downtown Cochabama, or sometimes under a bridge or in the main square.

When Gabriel first met Carlitos as a 12 year old, it was Gabriel’s intention to restore Carlitos to his family. By then, Carlitos’ father had died. Gabriel found Carlitos’ mother who worked in the market. When he told her he knew where her son was and asked if she wanted to see him, she broke down crying. There was an emotional reunion. Nevertheless, Carlitos never returned to his mother permanently. While he did not see her often, he did provide her with some money or clothes on a regular basis.

Carlitos’ mother also passed away recently, but Carlitos could not face going to the funeral as he felt it would only make him feel worse. For a time he sniffed glue, but he realized the dangers of that lifestyle and is now free from drugs. He is living with his brother. He is enrolled in school and passing. Education is a key to escaping the street life.