From the Amazon jungle and winding rivers to the tall Andes mountains, South America is full of adventure, beauty and amazing animals. You might spot llamas in the mountains, capybaras splashing near the water or even sleepy three-toed sloths hanging in the rainforest trees!
Come explore this colorful and welcoming continent with us. Our friends Paulina and Théo are ready to be your tour guides! They are two of more than 400,000 children being supported at over 1,200 Compassion centers across South America.
I am 9 years old. I live with my parents and my little sister on a small island on the sunny Colombian coast. My father works selling handmade bracelets and jewelry on the tourist beaches in Cartagena. He does not always earn much money, so it is difficult for him to provide for our family. Please pray for him.
Paulina: My parents built our house piece by piece to make a safe place for my sister and me. We live high on the island where it’s hard to get drinking water, so a motorcycle brings water to our home almost every day.
I am 7 years old and live in the Sertão region of Brazil. It’s very dry here, but there’s so much beauty and nature to explore. My biggest dream is to always see my family happy.
Théo: We live in a brick house that’s still being built. My father works in a distant city and can only come home for two weeks every two months. I’m very happy when my father comes home because he loves spending time with me and playing with me.
How I Get Around
Paulina: Any time my family and I need to leave the island and visit the nearest city, we take a 30-minute boat trip. I don’t enjoy it too much though because it shakes a lot. Have you ever been on a boat?
It might look like a ride at Disneyland, but these colorful cable cars in La Paz, Bolivia, are actually public transport! The Mi Teleférico cable cars carry people high above the busy streets below.
In Colombia, Dianis and her brother Dilan ride their family’s donkey to get to school.
Roads aren’t very common in their village in Ecuador’s Amazon jungle, so Dani, Katy, Waira and Keisha take a canoe to school!
It might look like a ride at Disneyland, but these colorful cable cars in La Paz, Bolivia, are actually public transport! The Mi Teleférico cable cars carry people high above the busy streets below.
In Colombia, Dianis and her brother Dilan ride their family’s donkey to get to school.
Roads aren’t very common in their village in Ecuador’s Amazon jungle, so Dani, Katy, Waira and Keisha take a canoe to school!
It might look like a ride at Disneyland, but these colorful cable cars in La Paz, Bolivia, are actually public transport! The Mi Teleférico cable cars carry people high above the busy streets below.
In Colombia, Dianis and her brother Dilan ride their family’s donkey to get to school.
Roads aren’t very common in their village in Ecuador’s Amazon jungle, so Dani, Katy, Waira and Keisha take a canoe to school!
Fast facts:
- In Colombia, some steep hillside neighborhoods are connected by outdoor escalators and cable cars so families can get around more easily.
- In some parts of Peru, people travel by boat along the Amazon River because there are very few roads through the rainforest.
- In Ecuador, brightly colored buses are common and often play music as they travel through towns and cities.
My Favorite Toy
I have a toy that I take with me almost everywhere. It’s a stuffed dog that a friend of my mother gave me some years ago. He comes with me when I ride my bike. He comes with me wherever I go!
My truck is my favorite toy because my father gave it to me. That’s why I love playing with it so much and take great care of it. I also love playing with CDs that one of my relatives gives me. I don’t listen to music with them but use them for games as spinning discs. They are so shiny!
Where I Play
Living on an island is really interesting. Where I live, there are old forts that were built long ago to help protect the country from enemies. Now those are tourist attractions, but I love to explore them. When I’m not with my family, climbing forts, or visiting the ocean, I like to attend my Compassion center. The center is where I learn about God’s love, have a lot of fun and eat delicious food. My favorite place at the center is the playground, where I enjoy using the slide. It’s yellow and fast!
I love playing with my friends and watching soccer matches between the teams in my neighborhood. Whenever my mom lets me, I ride my bicycle around the area. It makes me so happy!
Fit Check
What do kids wear in South America? Check out these colorful outfits from across the continent!
Luz lives in the cold mountains of Bolivia. She’s wearing a traditional pleated skirt called a pollera and a wide-brimmed hat like many Indigenous girls and women in the Andes.
Barbara is dressed in her colorful Festa Junina outfit, a style worn during one of Brazil’s biggest June celebrations, which has dancing, music, games and yummy foods.
Genesis and Naysha are wearing traditional Quechua clothing in Cusco, Peru. Many Quechua families in the Andes mountains wear bright, colorful patterns that reflect their culture and history.
Tutors at a Compassion center in Ecuador’s Andes mountains are wearing traditional clothes, including white blouses, colorful skirts and warm shawls called chals.
Turning 15 is a very special milestone in many Latin American countries, including Colombia. Families celebrate with a big party called a quinceañera. But for girls like Ledis, Lesly and Celena, growing up in poverty means a celebration like this is usually only a dream. Thanks to their thoughtful sponsors and a surprise party from their Compassion center, the girls’ dream came true!
Luz lives in the cold mountains of Bolivia. She’s wearing a traditional pleated skirt called a pollera and a wide-brimmed hat like many Indigenous girls and women in the Andes.
Barbara is dressed in her colorful Festa Junina outfit, a style worn during one of Brazil’s biggest June celebrations, which has dancing, music, games and yummy foods.
Genesis and Naysha are wearing traditional Quechua clothing in Cusco, Peru. Many Quechua families in the Andes mountains wear bright, colorful patterns that reflect their culture and history.
Tutors at a Compassion center in Ecuador’s Andes mountains are wearing traditional clothes, including white blouses, colorful skirts and warm shawls called chals.
Turning 15 is a very special milestone in many Latin American countries, including Colombia. Families celebrate with a big party called a quinceañera. But for girls like Ledis, Lesly and Celena, growing up in poverty means a celebration like this is usually only a dream. Thanks to their thoughtful sponsors and a surprise party from their Compassion center, the girls’ dream came true!
Luz lives in the cold mountains of Bolivia. She’s wearing a traditional pleated skirt called a pollera and a wide-brimmed hat like many Indigenous girls and women in the Andes.
Barbara is dressed in her colorful Festa Junina outfit, a style worn during one of Brazil’s biggest June celebrations, which has dancing, music, games and yummy foods.
Genesis and Naysha are wearing traditional Quechua clothing in Cusco, Peru. Many Quechua families in the Andes mountains wear bright, colorful patterns that reflect their culture and history.
Tutors at a Compassion center in Ecuador’s Andes mountains are wearing traditional clothes, including white blouses, colorful skirts and warm shawls called chals.
Turning 15 is a very special milestone in many Latin American countries, including Colombia. Families celebrate with a big party called a quinceañera. But for girls like Ledis, Lesly and Celena, growing up in poverty means a celebration like this is usually only a dream. Thanks to their thoughtful sponsors and a surprise party from their Compassion center, the girls’ dream came true!
My Favorite Food
I go with my mom to the grocery store near our home to buy pasta, rice, beans and other groceries. My favorite trips are when we get to buy pasta with cheese. It’s so yummy, and I want to eat it for lunch right when I get home!
What is my favorite food? Lasagna! I’m also very happy when my mom buys me chocolate milk and when I eat brigadeiros. They’re amazing chocolate truffles here in Brazil and are very common at birthday parties! What is your favorite food?
Fast facts:
The most popular sweets in South America …
- Alfajores: These yummy treats are like sandwich cookies! Two soft shortbread cookies are filled with dulce de leche (a thick, creamy caramel sauce made from milk and sugar) and then sprinkled with powdered sugar and sometimes dipped in chocolate.
- Tres Leches Cake: Three types of milk in one very sweet cake. It’s soft and fluffy and topped with whipped cream. Yum!
- Brigadeiros: Brazilian rolled chocolate balls. You can try them yourself — check out the recipe on the next page!