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Sponsorship in Colombia

CFCA has been working with the poor in Colombia since 1982. One of the main goals is to get children off the streets, where they risk becoming involved in gangs and crime, and into the educational system.

In the Antioquia project, sponsorship has helped children from preschool to high school receive an education by providing books, school uniforms and supplies. More than 1,200 boys and girls participate in sports, music, dance, theater, art, community service and other activities. Mothers can enroll in training programs to learn skills such as shoe repair, hairdressing, sewing, ceramics and first-aid.

At the Madre Paula project, basic needs of children and aging persons are taken into consideration in determining benefits such as groceries, school tuition, school supplies, uniforms or clothing, health care, home improvements, beds, recreation and spiritual formation.

In the Bogota project, children have access to tutoring, counseling and activities such as field trips to museums and other sites. The field trips are beneficial since many of the children have never been outside the neighborhoods where they live. This project focuses on the mental and emotional well-being of the sponsored children, providing them access to social workers, psychologists and family counselors.

The Quibdo project enhances the lives of those sponsored with clothing and household items needed for basic comfort and good health. Mattresses, pillows, sheets, blankets, fans and mosquito netting keep children and aging persons healthier and more comfortable. Kitchen items such as pots, stoves, tables and chairs are also provided.

The Cartagena project’s main focus is on education. School supplies, shoes, uniforms and tutoring are provided through sponsorship.
In the Cali project, home visits and workshops for parents in the Vergel neighborhood strengthen the family unit in an area with very high unemployment.

Sponsor a child in Colombia

About Colombia

Colombia, in northwestern South America, is the only country on the continent with both Atlantic and Pacific Ocean coasts. It is a land of contrasts, which include rugged mountains, high plateaus, deep valleys, and vast expanses of lowland tropical forests and grasslands. The difficulty of travel in the mountains and varied climates, soils and vegetation have all led to the development of different ways of life in different parts of the country. Colombians embrace the uniqueness of these many different lifestyles, and the Colombian constitution recognizes many of the indigenous languages and provides for bilingual education.

Colombia is poised for moderate growth in the next few years, and the economy that was based largely on agriculture is slowly giving way to one based on manufacturing. However, the country faces many problems in both rural and urban areas. Many people, especially in the rural areas, suffer from malnutrition, poverty and insufficient education.

Colombia’s biggest challenge continues to be the struggle against guerilla warfare, city gangs and illicit drug cartels. Colombia has existed in a state of unofficial civil war for many years, with the government struggling to maintain power over the many guerilla groups that terrorize city neighborhoods and claim rural areas as their own. Most of the country’s wealth is concentrated in the hands of drug traffickers.

The people

Present day Colombian culture has been influenced by the indigenous culture. Much of Colombia's art, music, and dance are inspired by the indigenous people.

Colombian society has been mostly male oriented, however; the role of women in society has greatly increased over the last few decades. Many women have taken on leadership roles in their communities and professional organizations.

Almost three-quarters of the people live in cities or towns, where most of the schools, medical facilities and cultural activities are located. In recent years, rural families lacking the education and skills for professional jobs poured into the cities, which face high poverty and unemployment, inadequate housing and high crime. The edges of the cities display crowded squatter settlements with no running water, electricity or sewers.

Rural families may cultivate small farms or work as laborers on large estates. Coffee, one of the nation’s leading exports, is grown on small family farms where the whole family is involved in the labor-intensive operation. Most families are large, especially in rural areas. Family ties are strong, and several generations may live in the same house or as neighbors.

Education

Public elementary education is tuition-free, and children are required to attend for five years. However, many children do not attend past age 7; instead they help their parents on the family farm. Parents also find it difficult to afford school supplies and various school fees.

In cities, there are some large, modern schools, but many schools in the rural areas have only one or two classrooms, and only two or three grades are available.

Boys and girls usually attend schools starting in February (Antioquia and Madre Paula projects start in January) and ending in November. Children in the Cali project attend from August to June.

In remote areas, children may learn through radio broadcasts of school lessons. The literacy rate is lower in rural areas than in the cities, and the government is working to train more teachers and build more schools outside the cities.

Sponsor a child in Colombia

Sources:

World Factbook

MSN Encarta Encyclopedia