Norman Andres Vargas

Hello friends!

My name is Angela López-Velásquez and I'm fundraising for Norman Andrés Vargas, who is, as I like to call him, a miracle from the streets of Pereira, Colombia. Andrés is in need of funding for his college tuition, which in Colombia is significantly less costly than in the US ($1,000 per semester.) If the goal of $1,500 is reached, these funds will help to pay for Andrés' tuition for the second semester of 2023 and to provide him with food for a couple of months. An amount of even $5 can make a huge difference in Andrés life. I met Andrés through my sister, who teaches at the university that he attends. He knew his story and became interested in helping him.

If you are looking to help turn one person's life around, this is your case. Andrés is a 33 year-old man who lived on the streets of the city of Pereira since he was 11 years old. The sons of a prostitute, Andrés and his brother were abandoned to the streets to fend by themselves at the ages of 11 and 13. Trying to survive, they both got into drugs. Andrés was was an addict for 15 years and suffered the unforgiving realities of living on the streets in a poor country: cold, hunger, homelessness, and the rejection of people. Colombia doesn't offer shelter to the homeless, and most feed of what they can find in garbage cans or what a compassive person would provide. Despite all these hardships, Andrés never lost his dignity and hung on to the hope of leaving the streets and live a different life. Unfortunately, his brother didn't make it and still lives homeless and an addict. Andrés helps him when he can with food and clothing.

With on and off help, Andrés was able to go to school and graduate high school. He still lived on the streets and used drugs, but he was determined to turn his life around. Some teachers helped him with food and guidance. He caught a life-threatening heart illness from shooting heroin with unsanitary needles and almost lost his life. City authorities who were patrolling the streets one night found him unconscious and took him to a hospital where they held him, operated on him, and detoxed him.

Months later, after he left the hospital, he continued to suffer homelessness but stopped using drugs, and held hard to the hope of building a life for himself. A local lawyer who learned about his story hired him to run errands. While taking paperwork here and there and asking questions, Andrés started getting interested in the cases the lawyer was working on. He fell in love with the field of law and with some initial help of this lawyer, Andrés was able to enroll in an undergradute law program at Areandina, a private university in the city of Pereira (this is the only university that has this program at an affordable cost.) It's worth mentioning that to practice law in Colombia, students enroll in a 5-year undergraduate program, and can later attend graduate school to specialize in an area of the field.

With the help of many people who have been able to collect funds for Andrés tuition, he has been able to study law for 3 semesters. He is doing well in his studies and holds tightly to the dream of becoming a lawyer. But this is an impossible goal without help. Andrés works in any job that he can get, but the money he makes is just enough to afford him a room and basic food. My family has provided some help and fundraised with friends in Colombia, but the reality is that Andrés needs more significant help. The US dollar goes a long way in this country, which is why I felt compelled to start this fundraiser.

I hope that like me and my sister, you find value in helping Andrés with his studies. Any amount will be significant for this cause. Thanks for reading!