Actress Paula Garces has highlighted the need to provide aid and support to orphans and sex trafficking victims by embarking on a charity trip to her native Colombia.

The Devious Maids star, who relocated from Medellin to New York City with her parents at the age of seven, recently travelled to South America to work with officials at the Orphaned Starfish Foundation, a non-profit organisation which provides vocational skills to orphaned kids to help them break the cycle of poverty and abuse.

She also met with youths at orphanages in Bogota and El Choco to witness the affects of the foundation first-hand and the mother of two reveals she was drawn to support the charity because of its emphasis on education.

She tells the New York Daily News, "Through education anything is possible.

"You can't really study if you're hungry, so if need be, food, clothing and shelter (are also provided).

"Anything that entails getting these kids to the next level. Their situations are often times unlivable to us. But kids are resilient and they're survivors."