Page 14 - ARUBA TODAY

A14
LOCALFriday 29 December 2017
You Can Help Keeping Aruba Happy:
‘It is Not about Being Bad, but About
Making Bad Choices and Take that
Second Chance’
ORANJESTAD - When entering the
15,000 square meter premises of
Eliezer Foundation you feel you
are visiting a Garden of Eden. The
entrance is leading you to a farm
with beautiful nature around it.
There are animals, crops, green
houses and a park. Four dedicat-
ed people, a handful, are working
daily to help 15 men that lost their
way during the walk in life. They
are addicts to alcohol and/or
drugs and live here to get detoxed
and rehabilitated. The motivation
behind this foundation is the stron-
gest there can be: owner Gino
Frans used to be an addict himself
until God called him and took him
out of that life. “The Lord freed him them back. If we are in doubt, we
but also gave him a call to help
others. That is how it all started”,
says Monica Frans, Gino’s wife.
If you would like to visit the foundation, please call +297 561 3792 and ask for Gino or Monica Frans. You can also call +297 592 9424 and ask for
Robert Zara or +297 748 9185 Vanessa Maduro. If you would like to donate, please do so at bank account Arubabank 20 66 34 01 90. For more
information visit the website: https://eliezer-fundacion.jimdo.com or Facebook: Eliezer Fundacion.
This page is sponsored by
The clients start their day at 05.30 2-months of detox will be 4 months was 2008/2009. Than we got to
am with a prayer. “We take a sec- now. The detox period is with- know an alcohol addict that of-
tion from the Bible that makes us out any contact with society, no fered us a big house because he
begin the day committed and phone, no visits, nothing. “Before loved what we did. Step by step
positive”, explains Robert Zara, you start this program, we will give the clients trusted us and more
secretary of the foundation and you a week to prepare yourself. searched for us. One led to anoth-
one of the four that work with the That determines if you are really er and God always guided us. This
clients. “Then we have breakfast dedicated. You need to choose location was a blessing. The Dutch
and start our job. All have a job de- for this completely, otherwise it will owner Fred Wappenaar believes
scription and responsibility.” Van- not work”, Vanessa proceeds. in us and offered us this terrain,
essa Maduro, administrator and we are unbelievably grateful. The
social helper, continues: “At noon All Over Again connection with animals, a water-
we eat together, they sleep and Client Anthony Arends has been mill, to be self-supportive, to teach
at 3.30 pm there is a Bible study. 4 months here now, he was ad- the clientsto cultivate and grow
This is the program from Mondays dicted to drugs and alcohol. “I and care… it is all part of our vi-
to Fridays, Saturdays they will visit was fed up with my life, I needed sion. We are her since 6 years now
their family. It is obligatory that the a change and if you have the will and next to Foundation Eliezer
family picks them up and brings you can do it. It was hard in the we founded the La Posada Care
beginning, but you get better Farm.” The foundation does not
do tests when they come back to along the way.” He feels home let go easily, after the average
see if they are clean. If not, they here, the program brings him a of 6 months that clients stay they
start all over again, but with dou- new start and being useful. “It is
ble weight.” That means that the like a baby that learns crawling
before walking, you have to do it
all over again. I love to take care
of the horses and donkeys, a horse
of my own is my goal and maybe
even my own ranch. I see a fu-
ture.” Anthony is a leader now as
he helps new clients and his persis-
tence makes the others stronger.
“I want
to help, God sent me here.”
Blissful Bonding
Monica and Gino started with the
Foundation Eliezer in the Nether-
lands, but Gino felt the need here
in Aruba and thus they started in
the streets of the island. “We had
nothing but God’s believe and
we approached the addicts, this
keep in touch and help them reintegrate into society. Monica: “But in the
future we would like to hire them ourselves as employees of our hydropon-
ics business. It is not easy to get hired by a company when you have a past
like this, here at least we do not see that as a disadvantage. We believe in
change.” The foundation cooperates with the Movimiento Misionero Mun-
dial. The ambition and drive of this foundation is heart-warming and one
can only wish that there were more people like them to help those who
do not see an outcome anymore. To fulfill their plans Monica and Gino
welcome any help. Donations, construction materials, furniture, anything
that is needed. You are most welcome to visit the Care Farm, and get a
tour. Robert: “First we need to build a new house for the clients with each
their own room. They need that to learn being on their own and take care
of their stuff. When you visit us here, you will feel the need. Every family has
a member that is addicted.”q