Pan de Vida
“I once belonged to that group of children
who had no hope and no future”CARLOS VAN DE KAMP
How it started
In October 1986, Wilkin and his wife Aukje flew to Peru to adopt their three-year-old son Joel Carlos. At the age of twenty Carlos had a personal encounter with God and got the desire to return to the country where he was born, to give the children of Peru a view of a hopeful future.
Meanwhile Carlos and his wife Mariela live with their four daughters in Arequipa, the second largest city in Peru after Lima. God has put compassion in their hearts for the many children in Peru, who have no chance to be children and are often forced to work on the streets.
In 2006, Carlos started the first children’s restaurant in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Arequipa. Today, over 3,000 children are fed in 45 children’s restaurants. Thanks to the support of our sponsors who help us to help the children of Peru.
The little boy who was left orphaned has heard God’s voice to be, together with Mariela, a father and mother for children who no longer have a home. In the children’s home Casa Alegria (‘House of Joy’) they offer a safe home to 18 children.
Carlos: “We see a world where poverty and oppression reign and where people and organizations abuse their power. A world where children are the victims of malfunctioning economic systems. Many people live for themselves. The ordinary man and woman often do not benefit from economic progress. We want to share the love of Jesus by helping the poorest children and families in Peru emerge from spiraling poverty. We see a blossoming country before us where everyone, young and old, has the prospect of a promising future.”
A Journey Of Miracles
At the age of 20, Carlos left everything behind to help Peru’s poorest children. Within a year, his dream had disappeared, and he only had crackers left to eat. At that time, his adoptive mother embarked on an extraordinary adventure. In this moving documentary, Carlos and Aukje tell how her wonderful journey led to thousands of children in Peru being fed every day. This film has been awarded a Crown Award in America and Europe.
