Directly help our dear Yuly & her family, please.

Dearest friends and family,

 

We are writing with the hope to directly help our dear friend, Yuly, whose home in Colómbia needs urgent repairs. This is a chance for those of us who are able, to truly make a huge difference for a family we personally know, who through no fault of their own are living in poverty and in a home that is falling apart. If you can help, here are the projects your money (and ours) can directly make happen:

 - a new roof; - bathroom repairs: sink, toilet, shower, walls, floor, and door; - kitchen: cabinets, drawers, supplies, surfaces, and storage

 

Background:

We are lucky to sponsor Yuly, who is a nursing student here in St. Louis.  We have known and loved her for about 4 years... she lives in our home.  As a side note, Yuly is doing extremely well in her nursing program! She is one of the most wonderful, responsible, loving, trustworthy, and brilliant persons we know. She is someone who has truly “pulled herself up by her bootstraps”! 

 

Yuly’s hardworking and kind parents (Gloria, 61, & José, 70) and seven of her siblings live in Yopal, Colómbia. Yuly is the second youngest of 10 children. In 2009, when Yuly was only 14 years old, her whole family was forced to flee from their rural farm to escape imminent danger during the armed Colombian conflict. They had to leave behind their home, land, animals, and most belongings. One of her brothers was shot as they fled, but thankfully survived.

 

They relocated to the city of Yopal and have lived in the 3-bedroom, 1-bathroom home, photographed below, for the last eleven years. Eight of Gloria & José’s ten children, seven grandchildren, and various extended family members still stay at the house from time to time, including Yuly when she visits home. Gloria and José used to be farmers, but due to the unexpected situation in 2010, they had to find new ways of making a living - adding to that the widespread national economic instability, they have been unable to afford home repairs for years. Recently, the home has become so damaged that day-to-day tasks such as bathing, cooking, and sleeping have become extremely challenging. The poorly constructed, worn roof is not protecting their home from Colómbia’s heavy rains and intense heat. Most of the bathroom fixtures are broken and the kitchen is barely functional.

 

Yuly’s trustworthy nephew, Alexi, designs, constructs, and repairs homes professionally in another city in Colómbia. Recently, Yuly asked him to travel to Yopal to assess the damage of her parents’ home and estimate the cost of making it safe and liveable. Yuly’s brothers know where to buy affordable materials, and, with Alexi’s direction, they can also do a lot of the labor. Alexi plans to return to Yopal very soon to do the projects.

 

Yuly loves her family very much. She tries to speak to her parents and siblings almost every day. We know it would mean the world to her and her parents if this could be a loving gift from Yuly’s USA friends and family.

 

Thank you so much for your help,

Joe & Colleen Erker