SAI (South American Initiative), a compassionate non-profit, provides support and hope to orphaned children in Venezuela. In this image, three children stand and sit near a statue of a woman holding a child, symbolizing the care and protection that SAI strives to offer. Their presence reinforces the importance of SAI’s ongoing mission—to deliver essential resources, including food, medical aid, and educational support, to orphanages. Through generous donations and volunteer efforts, SAI continues to safeguard vulnerable children, ensuring they receive the care and encouragement needed for a brighter future.

Over the past two years, we have supported four different orphanages in Venezuela. Just last month, we added a fifth. But things have changed making food deliveries more difficult.

SAI Adapts to Difficult Situations

There is presently a lockdown every other week in Venezuela. With the combination of the lockdown-curfew and soaring fuel prices, we’ve made a few changes to our operations that allow us to adapt more readily to daily life in Venezuela

First Change: Gas Jumps to $8 per Gallon

The first change is that we’ve purchased a new/used pickup truck to help us continue to provide food deliveries for our local orphanages, hospitals, and animal shelters. This is extremely important because gasoline is now just over $8 per gallon. The skyrocketing price of gas makes it incredibly expensive for us to make our regular food deliveries.

Converted to Natural Gas

Since Venezuela is now getting its gasoline from Iran, the street price tops $8 per gallon. One of our top engineers suggested that with a slight modification of this truck, we could shift our consumption from gasoline to natural gas. This shift is a big deal because natural gas costs only a few pennies per gallon. Not only that, natural gas is a fuel that burns more cleanly than gasoline and diesel. We made the conversion to natural gas.

SAI is not only saving money on fuel but also limiting the carbon footprint of its vehicle use by converting the engine from gasoline to natural gas. This vehicle allows SAI to be more efficient in providing for the poor and needy Venezuelans who have only what we can provide for them. You make a huge difference in the lives of these children, hospital patients, and abandoned pets.

Second Change

The second change is that we’ve shifted food deliveries to include more dry foods like arepa mix, cornflower, rice, beans, eggs, pasta, and now sardines. The kids need the protein and the omega-3s they get from eating sardines. Sometimes the younger children struggle to eat the sardines, but after a few meals, they adjust and actually like them!

This menu shift allows us to continue to provide vital nutritional support for these underprivileged children.

SAI (South American Initiative), a compassionate non-profit, ensures essential supplies reach orphanages in Venezuela by utilizing efficient transportation methods. This image features a sturdy red pickup truck parked on a tree-lined street, ready for distribution efforts that bring food, medicine, and hygiene products to orphaned children in need. With strong community support, SAI continues to deliver crucial aid, improving the lives of vulnerable youth and providing hope for a better future.
Our new/used truck runs great with 80,000 km.
SAI (South American Initiative), a compassionate non-profit, continues to uplift orphaned children in Venezuela by providing essential care and support. In this image, a group of children and adults gather indoors, holding a sign that reads "THANK YOU," reflecting their appreciation for SAI’s ongoing assistance. A religious statue and an adoption sign in the background reinforce the significance of this moment, possibly linked to adoption efforts or community outreach. Through generous donations and volunteer efforts, SAI remains committed to offering vital resources, including food, medical aid, and educational support, ensuring vulnerable children receive the care and opportunities they deserve.