As the water rose, the Colombian church was ready to respond

Tearfund is supporting churches responding to the needs of their communities. Many of these churches have been trained through the Transforming Communities programme, meaning they were already prepared to understand the needs of their communities, organise themselves and respond in times of crisis.

Local churches have now become shelters for displaced families to get food, rest, faith support and safety. Alongside these efforts, other territories and faith communities have organised donation drives, mobilised transport and sent aid to the most affected areas.

In an incredible act of service, Sonia Osorio, a Tearfund facilitator in Montería, turned her own home into a strategic collection centre. There, the aid sent by churches and donors from different cities is received, sorted and carefully organised, and then channelled to the communities with the highest level of need.

This isn’t just the delivery of aid. It’s the working of a previously strengthened network. It’s evidence that when churches have been equipped to know the needs of their communities, they can respond with speed, coordination and commitment. Even with limited resources, communities are using what little they have to sustain those who have lost everything.

Incredible acts of service

Just as the Transforming Communities training in Latin America prepares communities, we’ve heard inspiring stories about how churches and communities are responding to help those in need.

In Tierralta, under the leadership of Pastor Alfonso Narváez’s Los Efesios Church has welcomed more than 130 people from approximately 40 families. They’ve been given shelter, food and spiritual support at a time when they need it most.

Much like Sonia Osoria, Pastor Pablo Beltrán in Frasquillo has opened his own home to provide refuge for displaced families, coordinating with other church leaders to assess and verify need.

And the response isn’t limited to pastoral leaders. Young people who are part of Tearfund’s Latin America Youth Network are actively participating in the distribution of aid, even travelling by river to communities where road access remains blocked.

The floodwaters are still high, but the church is in action. A network of local churches is helping more than 3,000 people to rebuild their lives, including 700 families.

When a crisis strikes, local churches respond. And Tearfund will continue supporting local churches in Latin America to bring transformation, hope, and community resilience with the help of our faithful supporters.

Speaking up for justice as well as serving communities

The climate crisis is increasing the severity and frequency of disasters like this in Colombia and around the world. This impacts communities as well as God’s creation, and, as his people, we have a responsibility to speak up.

Just last year, Tearfund attended UN climate summit COP30 in neighbouring Brazil to engage and mobilise churches across the region to speak up on climate change and how it's affecting their communities.

Tearfund’s team in Latin America mobilised 55 churches around COP30 and reached more than 30 high-level decision-makers, an inspiring piece of climate advocacy. Alongside faith actors, the team worked closely with 11 Indigenous representatives, ensuring that the voices of the Amazon and affected territories were at the very centre of the conversation.

Much work remains to be done as the Mutirão commitment agreed at COP30 is enacted, but it’s inspiring to see local communities both preparing for emergencies and reacting at the local level, as well as speaking up on the world stage.