With his dad in prison, and his mom unable to financially provide for her children, Francisco was left in the care of his great grandfather at the age of 3. Together, they lived in the yard of a small mechanic shop in Ceballos, Colombia, and Francisco’s early life was marked by poverty, social pressures and a lack of opportunity.

Destined to follow in his family’s life of drugs, alcohol and crime, Francisco managed to overcome his circumstances, forging a new path for himself.

Francisco, now a young man, looks to give back to those who gave him a helping hand when he otherwise had nothing, attributing his success to the support of a local Compassion project and his Christian faith.

Francisco is a story of radical transformation and hope despite the challenges of crime and poverty.