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Saturday 9 december 2017

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You Can Help Keeping Aruba Happy:

‘It is Not about Being Bad, but About Making

Bad Choices and Take that Second Chance’

gether, they sleep and at 3.30 pm there is a
Bible study. This is the program from Mondays
to Fridays, Saturdays they will visit their family.
It is obligatory that the family picks them up
and brings them back. If we are in doubt, we
do tests when they come back to see if they
are clean. If not, they start all over again, but
with double weight.” That means that the 2-
months of detox will be 4 months now. The de-
tox period is without any contact with society,
no phone, no visits, nothing. “Before you start
this program, we will give you a week to pre-
ORANJESTAD - When entering the 15,000 pare yourself. That determines if you are really in the streets of the island. “We had nothing
square meter premises of Eliezer Foundation dedicated. You need to choose for this com- but God’s believe and we approached the
you feel you are visiting a Garden of Eden. The pletely, otherwise it will not work”, Vanessa addicts, this was 2008/2009. Than we got to
entrance is leading you to a farm with beauti- proceeds. know an alcohol addict that offered us a big
ful nature around it. There are animals, crops, house because he loved what we did. Step by
green houses and a park. Four dedicated All Over Again step the clients trusted us and more searched
people, a handful, are working daily to help 15 Client Anthony Arends has been 4 months for us. One led to another and God always
men that lost their way during the walk in life. here now, he was addicted to drugs and al- guided us. This location was a blessing. The
They are addicts to alcohol and/or drugs and cohol. “I was fed up with my life, I needed a Dutch owner Fred Wappenaar believes in us
live here to get detoxed and rehabilitated. The change and if you have the will you can do it. and offered us this terrain, we are unbelievably
motivation behind this foundation is the stron- It was hard in the beginning, but you get bet- grateful. The connection with animals, a water
gest there can be: owner Gino Frans used to ter along the way.” He feels home here, the mill, to be self-supportive, to teach the clients
be an addict himself until God called him and program brings him a new start and being use- to cultivate and grow and care… it is all part
took him out of that life. “The Lord freed him but ful. “It is like a baby that learns crawling be- of our vision. We are her since 6 years now and
also gave him a call to help others. That is how fore walking, you have to do it all over again. I next to Foundation Eliezer we founded the La
it all started”, says Monica Frans, Gino’s wife. love to take care of the horses and donkeys, a Posada Care Farm.” The foundation does not
horse of my own is my goal and maybe even let go easily, after the average of 6 months
The clients start their day at 05.30 am with a my own ranch. I see a future.” Anthony is a that clients stay they keep in touch and help
prayer. “We take a section from the Bible that leader now as he helps new clients and his them reintegrate into society. Monica: “But in
makes us begin the day committed and posi- persistence makes the others stronger. “I want the future we would like to hire them ourselves
tive”, explains Robert Zara, secretary of the to help, God sent me here.” as employees of our hydroponics business. It
foundation and one of the four that work with is not easy to get hired by a company when
the clients. “Then we have breakfast and start Blissful Bonding you have a past like this, here at least we do
our job. All have a job description and respon- Monica and Gino started with the Founda- not see that as a disadvantage. We believe in
sibility.” Vanessa Maduro, administrator and tion Eliezer in the Netherlands, but Gino felt change.” The foundation cooperates with the
social helper, continues: “At noon we eat to- the need here in Aruba and thus they started Movimiento Misionero Mundial.

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

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.