Colombia’s first training center for displaced single mothers was opened September 19 by the Adventist Development and Relief Agency in Bogota. The center will provide much-needed training support for more than 350 single mothers affected by the civil war in Colombia.

The facilities include administrative offices and classrooms that will be used for courses on literacy, health, sewing, hairdressing, manicure and pedicure, democracy and women’s rights. Courses in human development and small business management will also be taught.

The civil war in Colombia means that the country’s rate of displaced persons is second only to Afghanistan, said Wally Amundson, ADRA director in Inter-America. He pointed out that many women have lost husbands or family members who used to help support them. “These single mothers have lost everything; they’ve lost their security, their way to earn a living.”

In the coming weeks, a second training center will open in Bogota.