Through a Gift of Hope, Diana is learning the skills to start her own home business. Now she can provide for her two children, care for her aging father and lift her family out of poverty.
Perched on a vast grassy hillside is Diana’s apartment building in Bogotá, Colombia.
The clouds of the city hang in the sky — a quiet promise of rain.
Below, the hum of traffic echoes up from the winding streets.
When we arrive, Diana meets us outside in the drizzly air, holding her son Nicolás close. She’s wearing a red fluffy coat, light pink pants and a touch of red lipstick. Her bright outfit matches her smile.
Inside her brick apartment, Diana tells us her story — how a Gift of Hope has changed her life.
A few years ago, Diana’s father moved in after developing Alzheimer’s and becoming unable to care for himself. Over time, he has grown fully dependent on Diana as his primary caregiver. He is bedridden and requires assistance with basic needs, such as eating.
“I need to earn money to survive. But with whom do I leave my father?” Diana asked herself.
Life was full for Diana. And then, she found out she was pregnant.
A Dangerous Situation for Her Children
Diana met Jonathan, her now husband, when they were in 11th grade.
Their first daughter, Yuliza, was born in 2015. She’s now in sixth grade and loves to roller skate.
As a driver in Bogotá, Jonathan works irregular hours, shaped by his passengers’ schedules. Until recently, that meant Diana carried the responsibility of caring for her two children — and her aging father.
“In my life, I had two situations happening at the same time. My dad’s condition got worse, and I was pregnant. Before I got into Bambi’s program, it was really hard for me with the two children,” Diana says, referring to Holt’s partner organization, Hogares Bambi Bogotá, in Colombia. “I was having a very hard time.”
When Nicolás was born, Diana struggled with postpartum depression. Her life had become very challenging — increasing the burden not just on herself, but also her 9-year-old daughter.
“Yuliza, from a young age, has always been very responsible — her whole life,” Diana says. “But, at times, she has had responsibilities that are not precisely appropriate for her age.”
After getting home from school, Yuliza would help take care of her baby brother.
“Sometimes I had to leave the baby with Yuliza because I had to take care of my dad,” Diana explains. “For me, it was really hard … I had to go to the ER many times with my father. When it was an emergency, I really had to go.”
Diana fully understood that leaving her daughter and newborn baby alone put them in danger. But like many families living in poverty, she was in an impossible situation. Her husband had to work. They couldn’t afford daycare. And since she and her family had just moved into the neighborhood and didn’t know her neighbors well, she didn’t feel comfortable leaving her children with a stranger.
“When my husband would come home from work, sometimes it had been an hour or two,” Diana says. “I was really scared, like, I mean, a girl with a baby, anything could happen.”
Over time, Diana got to know her neighbors. And they offered her some life-changing advice.
“My neighbors knew about my father’s condition. They told me to go to Bambi. I actually thought it was just a daycare. And then I got there and they explained how the whole thing worked,” Diana explains. “It’s not only a daycare. They take care of you completely.”
A Sanctuary for Families in Bogotá
With the support of Holt donors, Bambi has been transforming the vulnerable community where Diana lives one family at a time. Nestled in the Marruecos neighborhood of southeast Bogotá, Bambi sits along a long, winding hill lined with brick buildings and vibrant, colorful homes.
This community began as a squatter settlement, formed by families seeking shelter during Colombia’s decades-long civil conflict. Many of them lost their homes and loved ones to the armed conflict. Many also migrated to Bogotá to escape violence in their rural communities. Soon, the community drew many low-income families simply struggling to survive.
In 2008, the neighborhood was officially recognized by the city, and in 2010, Bambi moved into the area to begin its work helping families rebuild their lives.
“The people know us in the neighborhood — the police, the church, the hospitals — so thankfully, we have a very good word of mouth,” Cristina Serna, Bambi’s executive director, says. “And people approach Bambi, and they say, ‘I want to be part of Bambi.’ Our typical profile is a family that really is in need, that is struggling to survive, like Diana was at the beginning.”
Like Holt, Bambi is committed to keeping children with their birth families. Through targeted interventions and ongoing support, Bambi helps prevent family separation caused by poverty, generational violence and other factors.
Bambi takes a holistic approach to family care. The organization regularly hosts personal development workshops led by psychologists, guiding mothers to rebuild self-esteem and rediscover a sense of purpose for the future. Mothers also receive weekly counseling sessions with staff psychologists.
At the same time, Bambi offers job placement assistance and vocational training — typically in beauty, sewing, soap making or baking — so families can work toward financial independence. Staff members help women choose a vocation and develop a business plan over the course of a year.
While mothers participate in these programs, Bambi provides 24/7 flexible childcare, health and nutrition screenings, and early childhood education for children under age 5. This care not only supports children’s healthy development but also keeps them safe from risks such as being left unsupervised or exposed to harmful situations.
To date, more than 300 women have launched their own businesses through Bambi.
Now, including Diana.
A Gift of Hope Designed for Diana
Before having children, Diana had a good job at a government office. When remote work wasn’t an option, she left her job to care for her daughter. Later, her father needed care at home. Soon after that, her son Nicolás was born.
Her family couldn’t make ends meet on a single income. But how could Diana find a job when she needed to be home full time?
That’s when everything changed for Diana. She became connected with Bambi and received a Gift of Hope from a Holt donor. Through the gift of a small business microgrant, Diana could start her own business from home and care for her father.
Her whole world changed. She became connected with parent trainings, counseling and vocational training all at once.
Diana began by learning about entrepreneurship and networking. Then she began learning how to sew, anticipating a career in alterations and tailoring.
“I was always very good with my hands, doing crafts and things like that,” Diana says.
But soon, the staff recognized she was very skilled with crafting and design.
“She started in our tailoring workshop, and she was moving through these workshops very, very nicely. But we saw that she’s very crafty with her hands. She’s very able,” Cristina says. Instead of sewing, Diana has trained in print design. She has named her business “Crear,” which means “create” in Spanish.
Moms and Entrepreneurs
To help mothers launch their businesses, Bambi offers shared workspaces — such as a salon for haircuts or sewing machines for garment orders. But the ultimate goal is to empower mothers to work from home, so they can remain present with their children.
Through Gifts of Hope, Bambi provides seed funding for essential equipment, enabling mothers to fully operate their businesses from home. For many, this means purchasing tools like hair-cutting kits, an oven for baking or a sewing machine.
When Diana launched her print design business, she invested in a cutting mat and other tools to work from home.
And while she is set to graduate from the program in December 2025, her business has already taken off.
“Right now, I am supporting my family with what I’m selling,” Diana says.
She’s built her customer base through Facebook Marketplace and Instagram, selling custom invitations, candle wraps, stickers and more. Recently, she learned how to make soaps — adding yet another product to her growing business. And, she can run her business from home — while caring for her father and spending time with her children.
Transforming Young Lives
Diana’s life isn’t the only one that’s changed because of a Gift of Hope. While she was learning and growing, Nicolás was too — at Bambi’s childcare center.
As we sit and talk, Diana touches Nicolás’ nose, and he giggles.
“When Nicolás arrived at Bambi, he didn’t know how to talk when he was supposed to at least be saying a few words. He was very shy. He did not talk to anybody. He didn’t look at anybody,” Cristina explains. “And now he’s talking. He’s smiling. You can see how he has developed.”
Nicolás pushes a bright red fire truck. He’s bundled in a red flannel and a little blue vest. When the toy fire truck honks its horn, his eyes widen with wonder. At just 2 and a half years old, he’s on the cusp of big changes. Soon, he’ll be ready to start preschool.
“The parenting skills that I have learned are very important. That’s something I had never had before, and I can say it’s really essential. It has helped me a lot,” Diana says. “One of [the things I have learned] is that I can be with him, like accompany him in his growth. Also, I am not alone as a mother. There is a network of help for me.”
She shares that she’s learned what loving parenting looks like, such as how to manage her emotions when upset and how to be fully present with her children. Growing up, Diana never had that example. Her mother struggled with alcoholism, and negligence in the home was common.
“For me, it’s really important to be a present mom, because I didn’t have a mom. My mom left when I was 6 years old. It was my dad who raised me,” Diana shares. “What I hope for them … is a better future than the one I had.”
One Gift of Hope, One Sand Grain
At 36, Diana is resilient and strong.
“If I could, I would tell Diana two years ago that everything will be okay,” Diana says, referring to her younger self. “There’s a way. There’s a future. Because when I arrived at Bambi, I was not good. I was really bad. I was very worried. I didn’t see a way out.”
When Diana felt like she had nothing left to give, support from Holt donors gave her a lifeline. Now, her greatest wish is to be that lifeline for other moms — just as someone was for her.
“My big dream, I would say, is to grow because I want to be able to help other moms like me. I’m not able to leave the home. My dad is not well, and I have nowhere to take him,” Diana explains. “I know I have to stay home. But I would like to grow so I can help other moms who are in my same situation, so that they can work and be with their babies and so they don’t have to leave them.”
Through a single Gift of Hope, Diana’s life has changed completely. When we ask what she would say to someone who has helped her, she smiles.
“First, I would say that a sand grain can do lots. In my life, I felt alone. I never thought about any kind of foundation or a place that could help you,” Diana explains. “Everyone would say, ‘You need to be super rich [to help].’ But you can’t imagine what giving a little bit [does] — how it impacts the children and the families. The help that I received was enormous. My life has changed. And it only required a little bit. You don’t have to give millions.”
To Diana, even the smallest gift is powerful. Like a grain of sand, it might seem insignificant — but together, those grains can move mountains. Every gift multiplies. Every woman helped will go on to impact her family and her community.
Diana sees herself carrying on the Gift of Hope she was given. “I was in this program with other women. They are doing much better, and the kids are doing well. I can speak for many,” Diana says. “With a little help, you can help many people. And I honestly think that I will bless others as I have been blessed.”
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