KAI Team Spotlight: Karen Ponce

KAI Team Spotlight

Karen’s Calling to Serve Women and Families

Long before joining Kids Alive Peru, Karen Ponce dreamed of creating a place of safety, faith, and growth for women who had experienced violence.

“I imagined a safe place, an oasis, where women could learn from the Bible, develop skills, and build supportive relationships,” Karen recalls. “When I learned about the opportunity at KAI, I felt that God was opening a door toward that calling.”

Today, as Director of the Lighthouse Hope Center in Pucallpa, Karen is helping families experience restoration and equipping women with skills to build new futures.

Walking by Faith

Karen’s role has not been without challenges. There communities have a great need for support, and disasters can strike unexpectedly. Yet through each difficulty, Karen has seen God’s hand at work.

“Even in those moments, God has been faithful and has provided,” she says. "God continues to bring new people with willing hearts. We pray that they connect deeply with the mission and vision."

A Family Transformed

Among the many stories of transformation, one stands out to Karen: a mother named Amelia and her daughter, Isabel (pseudonyms for safety). Amelia first joined Hope Center workshops after a neighbor invited her. Surrounded by a caring community through devotionals, baking, and sewing classes, she discovered the encouragement and belonging that helped her rebuild her confidence.

Later, Amelia confided in the team about violence her daughter had experienced. The Hope Center responded by providing food and clothing, getting legal support in order, and tending to psychological needs with professional care. Today, Amelia is part of a network of women survivors supporting one another, while Isabel and her siblings participate in children’s clubs and workshops.

For Karen, their story reflects the heart of this ministry: holistic care that restores dignity and creates lasting change.

Giving Her All‍

Karen often reminds those interested in nonprofit work to consider their calling. “This work isn’t for someone only seeking financial stability,” she says. “You need to have a heart that’s ready to serve in very difficult situations and seek God’s guidance every day.”

She knows from experience that service requires not only professional skills but also a servant’s heart and the love of Jesus. “Sometimes I’ve had to sing, decorate, lead workshops—whatever is needed to serve with love.”

Living Out “Justice that Heals. Bonds that Mend.”

‍For Karen, Kids Alive’s tagline is not just words—it’s the heartbeat of her ministry. “We work for justice that goes beyond the legal system—it heals hearts. And that healing happens through relationships.”

Through her leadership, women and children in Pucallpa are experiencing exactly that: justice that heals, and bonds that mend.

Thank You!

We are deeply grateful to supporters like you. Your generosity makes it possible to bring dedicated staff like Karen to Kids Alive sites around the world. Your partnership equips faithful, skilled leaders and professionals to walk alongside vulnerable children, women, and families—helping them experience healing, hope, and the chance for a brighter future.