A LITTLE ABOUT US
Casa de Esperanza was founded 25 years ago by a dutch couple named Piet and Marjke Punt. The decision to go to Bolivia and to do missionary work was not an easy one. For years, Piet and Marjke were ready to be deployed anywhere in the world. Eventually it became clear that Bolivia was the country where the Lord wanted to use them. After an initial trip in 1985, the family left for Bolivia in 1986. After four years of missionary work, and asking God again what His plan was, two things became clear. First, they would be builders of a children’s home and second, builders of a training school for young people (now called CEC). From that point on, Casa de Esperanza has grown. Piet and Marjke have left Fidel and Charo Corrales to run the childrens home, but their vision lives on.
Casa de Esperanza is unparalleled from other homes like it for a multiple reasons. One is that they seek to not only provide safe shelter for the orphans that come to them, but rather to operate with a willingness to raise children in a long-term family. While there are times that the children are rejoined with family members, the primary focus of Casa de Esperanza is not to find separate homes or treat the children as permanent orphans. Instead, each arrival at Casa de Esperanza is viewed as a new child with parents and many siblings. Children who don’t know their parents are even given “Esperanza” for a surname; this comes with an earthly identity and future prospects in a culture who’s corrupt government would just as soon discard the unwanted. Sensing the call of their Father, Fidel and Charo seek to love and care for all the children in the way that Jesus cares for us. As anyone who has visited Casa de Esperanza can attest to, everything that happens there is gospel-centered. From daily tasks to group discipleship, Fidel and Charo seek to share the love of Jesus first and foremost with all of the children.
““When Abraham came, the first child whose mother died at his birth, we were busy day and night. The skinny, malnourished youngster looked every day a little bit better. And as we walked with him through the village, you saw people look and think: is this the same skinny child from a few weeks ago? Slowly confidence grew and more children were offered to the orphanage. ”