ACH Summit 2024
Last month we participated in the ACH Summit, a Latin America conference hosted by Alianza Cristiana para los Huérfanos (ACH) and Perú por los Niños.
Alianza Cristiana para los Huérfanos, an organization based in Guatemala, hosts a 3-day conference about caring for the vulnerable each year. In recent years ACH has decided to take the conference from being held in Guatemala City to different countries around Central and South America, and this year it was held here in Lima, Perú.
As members of the Perú por los Niños network of organizations, churches and individuals, Paths of Hope was part of the organizational team helping with publicizing the event on social media, coordinating the event space, lots of printing, and the volunteer team.
A lot of spreadsheets were created and Zoom calls had leading up to the event.
This year’s theme was “Habitar en Familia” (living in family) focusing on the idea that every child deserves to be raised within a family. Presenters shared on topics ranging from trauma, how to start a ministry for the vulnerable in the local church, family strengthening, how to serve through mentoring and empowering teens/young adults to navigate life.
“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.”
The event was held Thursday through Sunday, and over 400 people participated from across Peru and South America. In addition to the participants, there were another 40 presenters/speakers and an amazing team of 40 volunteers. Billy and Kate coordinated the volunteer team, and they were a dream to work with – they anticipated needs and stepped up before we even asked. The volunteers really made participants feel welcome and made the event a success.
During one of the plenary sessions, Billy co-lead a panel about various ways we can care for vulnerable children. An adoptive family, foster family, a mentor, a mentor family and a adoptive parents of a child with disabilities shared about their experiences and testimonies. The panel shared how caring for the vulnerable is part of who God is and his calling on the church, and while we all might not be called to adopt, everyone can do something.
Patricia (floral dress in the middle) is one of the Paths of Hope mentors at the Puericultorio.
In addition to helping coordinate, Paths of Hope was also able to have a presence during the event. Kate created fliers and materials to share with prospective volunteers and created a Paths of Hope website ready in Spanish for a Peruvian audience (see it here in Spanish)! Many of our volunteer mentors were able to participate in the conference and also staff our table and share about their experiences as mentors at the Puericultorio Pérez Araníbar. We were able to meet many people who are interested in becoming mentors and learning more about Paths of Hope.
Enjoying a break with the POH staff and volunteers
Since the event ended with the Sunday morning services at the church where it was held, despite not having participated in the conference itself, the church congregants heard a moving testimony and message about caring for the vulnerable. At the end of both morning services the pastor invited the congregation to learn more about Perú por los Niños and how they could get involved in mentoring, foster care or adoption. Billy was able to share our vision for mentoring with many people from the church and meet many others who are interested in doing something.
