Nine months after Hurricane Iota destroyed homes and businesses on the small Colombian islands of San Andres, Providencia, and Santa Catalina, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) in Colombia continues to provide assistance to the people living there. Most recently, 90 new computers were delivered to the ministry of education for use in five schools located in San Andres and Providencia.

Upon learning that several schools were under reconstruction after Hurricane Iota, ADRA Colombia discovered that many of the schools lacked computers and/or computer labs, said Jair Flórez, ADRA Colombia Director. The selection of five schools to benefit from the computers was done through the government that oversees the small islands in the office of Lucila Morales, Secretary of Education in Providencia Island.

“We thank ADRA for turning their attention to the students here on Providencia Island with the donation of computers which will be of great use to them,” said Morales. “This will strengthen [their learning in] all the educational subjects.”

The computers will benefit nearly 1,000 children and adolescent pupils enrolled in the designated schools, said Flórez. In addition, the Adventist school in San Andres also received 10 new computers from ADRA.

The ADRA Colombia team and church leaders traveled to San Andres to deliver the computers on July 13, 2021.“ADRA believes in education, and we are here to hand over these devices that will undoubtedly contribute so that children can develop the educational process together with their teachers in the best way,” said Pastor Edgar Redondo, president of the church in North Colombia.

This initiative, which was coined the “Computers of Hope '' project, will help students strengthen their success in reading, computers, and all of their academic classes, ADRA leaders said. “We want them to feel that Colombia is here for them and is taking care of their needs,” said Flórez.

Since Hurricane Iota hit the Colombia islands in Nov. 2020, the Adventist Church and ADRA Colombia have assisted in the clean-up and have provided food and supplies to dozens of families. In addition, ADRA deployed several tons of humanitarian aid from Puerto Rico to provide emergency shelter for victims and support the reconstruction project in the archipelago.

This article was originally published on the Inter-America Division’s website