THE VISION

The vision and name of this project is inspired by John Chapter 2 verses 13 to 22.

We came to see that Jesus calls the temple; the place of worship in His day, ‘My Father’s House’ and by that, He meant for us all to feel at home in His presence, the place where we can most be ourselves without any shame or pretence. A house is a place where we should feel safe, protected, accepted as we are and welcomed and most of all loved.

Reading the part in the Bible where Jesus throws out the money lenders and gets quite angry made me think of just how sad it made Jesus that the original purpose of the temple wasn’t being fulfilled. It had become full of barriers and restrictions and seemed to be more concerned with making money at any cost when Jesus cried out, “Don’t turn my Father’s house into a marketplace!” I think Jesus was saying, this place is intended to be a place where you can make the connection with the Father, where you can realise that you were created to be a son or daughter of God, that in this place you belong, you are welcome, you are wanted and loved and not just tolerated but really welcome.

We have a phrase which we want to become part of the culture we create at My Father’s House; “you’re not just tolerated, you’re wanted here. Really wanted and the place wouldn’t be the same without you.” That’s how God, our Father God, makes us feel in His presence.

As you can probably tell, as a project we hold firmly to Biblical principles and believe in coming to know God as our heavenly Father with the help of the Holy Spirit. However, we want everyone to feel welcome at this house, the Father’s house, and so whilst we will share our beliefs with those we come into contact with, we do not want to force them on anyone and all are welcome to attend the classes and activities, those with a faith or not.

BACKGROUND AND NEEDS

Located in front of the beautiful Valley of the Spirits, Chasquipampa is a semi-rural district in the South Zone of La Paz. However, its proximity to La Paz’s most desirable area is misleading. It is famous for its ‘prestes’ (street drinking parties), domestic violence, child abuse and even gangs.

There are a high number of people who have recently migrated from the countryside amongst Chasquipampa’s population, and therefore it is possible that some children are first language Aymara speakers, with their second language being Spanish.

According to a recent study carried out by World Vision in 2016, 83% of children in Bolivia suffer some form of violence, be that physical, psychological or sexual violence.

Chasquipampa

According to an article in the national newspaper La Prensa, published November 25th 2011:

‘Chasquipampa has become as dangerous a place as la Ceja in El Alto, owing to the crime statistics and the proliferation of gangs of young people who come together to meet up in the area’, stated Colonel Daniel Quintanilla, director of the Special Forces in the Fight Against Crime (FELCC) in the La Paz area.’ [1]

According to Página Siete (another local newspaper) in an article dated June 10th 2013, it is stated that:

‘Chasquipampa is the place in the South Zone where the majority of sexual aggressions are registered, according to the statistics office of the Special Forces in the Fight Against Crime (FELCC) […] Between January and May, half of the cases reported took place in this area. This is due to the fact that there are a growing number of bars and canteens “where the gangs hang out” says the Chief of the Division for the Trafficking of Persons, part of the FELCC, Jeaneth Canqui. […] Of a total number of cases reported, 50% took place in this area. The anti-crime forces have warned of the increase in the use of alcohol.'

[1] Free translation from Spanish

THE NEED

Families living in the areas of Chasquipampa and Ovejuyo are often low-income and at risk of being exposed to crime, the breakdown of family structure, violence and the over-consumption of alcohol and its effects. The school day is structured so that you are either in morning school or afternoon or night school, thus parents often rely on older children to take care of their younger siblings whilst they are at work. Many children however are free in the afternoons and we felt that a centre where they could spend time learning and being creative in a safe and warm environment would be useful to many families in this area.

One mother told us last year that she was so grateful for My Father’s House because she always used to worry about her daughter but as a single parent she had no choice but to work long hours and leave her at home unattended. But since My Father’s House has opened up, she has less cause to worry.

Another mother reached out this year asking for literacy lessons for herself. She was forced to leave school by her parents after having finished primary school and is now wanting to resume her learning so she can help her son with his homework.

Many women in this area are single parents and have to work long hours as domestic workers more often than not to support their children. We saw that only was there a need to offer support to children in the area of Chasquipampa but to their mothers as well.

 “The ache for home lives in all of us. The safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.”

― Maya Angelou, All God's Children Need Travelling Shoes