In the past year, the community of Laderas Nueva Esperanza has seen some big changes, including the six staircases built by community members together with MEDLIFE volunteers. On recent visits to the community, we noticed another new addition to the landscape — a colorful new playground, built thanks to the generous donation of equipment from a Canadian friend of the community. Strangely, we rarely saw the outgoing and playful children who live there using the new jungle gym. The problem? The playground is built right next to a steep precipice. Without any safety net, parents worry that their children could easily fall off the cliff and hurt themselves while playing.

As we spend time with local families and leaders in communities like this one, our relationship with them moves beyond individual staircase projects and Mobile Clinics. The process behind planning the staircase projects and Mobile Clinics are also important first steps toward independence. As they plan work days and discuss problems and ideas, we see communities like this one become more united and organized, and committed to making positive changes.

Now we’re asking our supporters to make another investment in the future of this community, by helping us to build a fence that will ensure the safety of the children when they go outside to play.