Healthy Families
Operación San Andrés strongly believes that healthy families are the building blocks of healthy communities. Many conditions in Collique impede the formation of healthy families:
- Widespread lack of understanding and training in basic parenting skills
- Many fathers desert their families, leaving parenting responsibilities to the mothers
- Domestic abuse of women and children is common
- Children are often left unattended for long periods while their parents work
Operación San Andrés works to meet the immediate needs of families and address the underlying causes of dysfunction. Our family support programs include classes on marriage, parenting, and home management. These classes promote mutual respect within families, improved communications, teamwork, and shared responsibilities. In the future, we aim to create a program for men to strengthen their roles as fathers and husbands.
Every year, we plan two or three family outings to nearby recreational areas. These getaways create a setting for positive family interactions. Children and adults enjoy games and activities that foster team building and community. We also sponsor holiday celebrations to provide further opportunities for family bonding.
Sometimes dysfunctional family situations need more direct professional intervention. In these cases, our social workers and psychologists, along with the pastors of Luz de Esperanza Church, can provide individual and family counseling to resolve conflict and foster shared responsibility.