El Bosque, Chile is notably a vulnerable place with a high rate of drug addiction, alcoholism and unemployment.  Most of the children who attend the Kinder and Nursery school are from families who struggle with these issues or are children of teenage mothers.

The Salvation Army was presented with the opportunity to make the students and teachers of Kinder and Nursery much safer.  The building is now 18 years old and was showing severe signs of deterioration.  The floor of the hallways and entrances were in extremely dangerous conditions, causing accidents to children and staff.    By repairing the flooring, it has prevented falls because the surface is now smooth, it's easier to wash making it more hygienic which significantly increases the health and well-being of the children, it avoids accumulation of water when it rains (an environmental concern), eliminates dust in the rooms and generally improves the aesthetic appearance.

World Missions is happy to say that we've successfully completed the 10 month long project to repair the flooring.  In the report back from Kinder and Nursery, they shared with us a few stories of the students that attend the school:

Indira*: She attends pre-kinder and is 5 years old.  Her mother is in prison for robbery and was condemn to 7 years of jail.  Kathyna and her 1 year old sister were born inside the prison and are now looked after their grandmother, who was a drug addict but by the grace of God is now rehabilitated.

Angela*: She is 2 years-old and is at the nursery.  Her father is in jail in Brazil for drug trafficking.

Julie*: She is 2 years-old and also attends the nursery.  Last August her father was killed due to a drug addiction and her mother is currently addicted to drugs as well.  She is being taken care of by her grandmother.

Children do not understand the situation of their parents, but at Kinder and Nursery they try to give them the best care, protection, nutrition, education and Christian values.  The Salvation Army World Missions Department was happy to sponsor this project and would like to thank the donors from the Canada & Bermuda Territory for their on-going support of World Missions.

*Children's names have been changed to protect the identity

Photos of the completed work:

The Salvation Army- World MissionsEntrance hall The Salvation Army- World Missions-Plastic grass and playground

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