Richard Sanderson

MORPETH ROTARY AND SAVING STREET CHILDREN IN COLOMBIA

Richard Sanderson is from the north east, he went to Northumbria University then worked for British Gas for 10 years. As a keen Christian, he made short mission trips to South America, Africa and India and took a year long career break at Children's Vision in Bogota Columbia. It is a charity caring for street children. After a year back in the UK he returned, married the lady from the US who ran the charity and has lived and worked there since 2002. 

They are now looking after 185 children and link with another 70 who have moved on to adult life. Some were found living on a rubbish tip, some were 6 or 7 to a bed. They recently took in boys aged 4 and 9 at the request of their father. He had been a professional racing cyclist in Spain but got into drugs and served a 10 year prison sentence before being deported back to Columbia. He is now a taxi driver but can only get work for two days a week. The mother had been abusive so social services took the children into care. Father got them out but could not afford to house them. The youngest has a cleft palate and uses his version of sign language. 

Starting with one centre, over the years they have been able to set up four children's homes, a school and a medical centre, and carry out humanitarian work in local areas of poverty. 

A boy, whose mother was a sex worker and often beaten up, showed great intelligence at the school. They were able to get him a scholarship to university and he is now a software engineer with a multinational company. He helps the charity with their computers. Another boy lived in an area controlled by guerillas where he was being used as a child soldier to plant land mines. He got a scholarship to architectural school and qualified. He helped them build their last children's home. They are now working to set up a fifth home that will improve facilities for boys aged 6 to 11. Children's Vision is the US charity that supports their work. Fifteen years ago they set up a charity called New Hope for Children that is based in North Shields. It is run by a lady who worked with them in Bogota for two years. 

The children now have food, a bed, are protected, educated and have recreation. They have learned to be members of a commmunity that has shown them love, and have a genuine home. One of them, who was found aged 3 living in a cardboard box, is a professional baker and chocolatier with her own business. Richard regards the whole operation as a miracle. Their funding is around 65% from the US, 30% from the UK and 5% from Colombia. Some years ago Morpeth Rotary helped them buy five large washing machines. They have kept in touch ever since.