Sponsorship in Venezuela
CFCA has been involved in Venezuela since 1983, and helps meet the needs of children and elderly through the Barquisimeto project.
In the Hogar San Vicente de Paul subproject, the elderly are provided clothing and three nutritious meals each day. A doctor, a nurse and two aides attend to the elderly, and the subproject provides for all medicinal needs.
In other subprojects, school uniforms and supplies are provided for children, along with food parcels, clothing and medical supplies. Parent workshops are held in an effort to establish solid families and healthy children. 
Most subprojects deliver a monthly food basket to sponsored persons. The basket usually includes staple foods of the region such as rice, sugar, flour, beans and coffee.
Sponsor a child in Venezuela
About Venezuela
Venezuela, which borders the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean in northern South America, offers a wide variety of geographical features, warm weather and more than 1,800 miles of beaches.
Venezuela became one of the first South Amerian Spanish colonies to declare its independence. The country's official name is the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela named for Símon Bólivar, the military leader who helped Venezuela and other South American countries gain independence.
Historically, Venezuela has experienced periods of civil conflict, dictatorship and a military with strong political influence. Democratically elected governments have been in control since the 1950s.
Venezuela differs from most of its South American neighbors. As one of the world’s leading producers and exporters of petroleum, it has become one of the wealthiest and most rapidly developing countries on the continent. Its residents enjoy a relatively high standard of living compared to the rest of Latin America.
Northern Venezuela and the coastal region are the most densely populated areas of the country. Geographic features include the Andes Mountains; Lake Maracaibo, which is the largest lake in South America; Angel Falls, the world’s highest waterfall; and tropical rainforests.
The people
Poverty remains a major problem in rural areas and cities alike. Large “squatter” settlements, where people live in one-room shacks, can be found bordering cities where housing is scarce. Almost 80 percent of the people live in cities.
Most people in rural areas live in simple one-room houses with straw roofs and earthen floors. They farm their land, work on large commercial farms, or work and live on ranches. In some rural areas, there are no sanitary services, and children are largely malnourished.
Unlike many of its South American neighbors, Venezuela has an open society rather than a rigid class system. Generally, people are not segregated on the basis of ethnic or class differences. Most people are descendants of Europeans, African slaves and indigenous peoples who have intermarried.
Education
Although schooling is mandatory for children ages 7 to 13, and education is free from kindergarten through university level, many children in remote areas of Venezuela have no school to attend, or there is only a single-room, multi-grade school staffed by an inadequately trained teacher.
Children in the Barquisimeto project are in school from October to July.
At the secondary level, there is emphasis on vocational and technical education. There are 10 public and five private universities in the country.
Sponsor a child in Venezuela
Sources:
World Factbook
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