El Nido addresses the problem of teenage pregnancy by working to improve the living conditions of young mothers and their children through programs that promote comprehensive development and social non-exclusion in Armenia, Quindío, Colombia. We are a non-governmental, social non-profit program that works to promote the dignity and solidarity of all people with a specific focus on teenage mothers and their children, who suffer from poverty, exclusion, and inequality. Through an intervention that allows comprehensive support during the pre and postnatal periods, we invest in the development of their physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual capacities, as well as their parenting skills.
Walking alongside the young women for two years, we develop a bond of trust and affection in which psycho-emotional support is provided. We focus on improving their living environments, health and the well-being of both the mother and her child, education and training, as well as the spiritual development of the young women. The women running the program are encouraged to form bonds with each girl in order to know how to help them best. It is their hope that God will use them to love and be given the wisdom to help and encourage others.
The ministry was founded by Jacob and Leidy Paul. Jacob is a Colombian at heart, but a Canadian by birth who came to Armenia in 2009. He met Leidy in 2011 and they married 2 years later. They founded El Nido and recently planted a church (Reunion Colombia) where Jacob serves as an associate pastor and Leidy is the executive director at El Nido.