Colombia!

We recently had the privilege of partnering with Fundacion Carla Cristina out of Colombia. Having a new partner in South America is exciting for SeeYourImpact but also has special meaning to me. As a youth I had the opportunity to travel in South America. Though I never made it to Colombia I always loved the vibrancy and culture of the continent. Coming from the Northeastern United States it always seemed that South Americans got such enjoyment out of life. The dancing, the colors, and the beautiful sound of Spanish made me vow to return. I hope that I’ll soon get my chance!

A brief background

Because I can’t make it to Colombia just yet I thought it’d be neat to share a little bit about the country and also the work of our new partner. Much of what I’ve heard about Colombia has come from television reports. I had no idea for instance that Colombia has two of the oldest political parties in the Americas or that the country was once named the United States of Colombia. What I had heard about was Colombia’s problems was that it had the South American continent’s longest standing armed conflict. Although the conflict persists it is not all there is to Colombia and there are bright spots as Colombia’s homicide rate has halved since 2002.  The armed conflict has taken it’s toll, however, and is felt by civilians to this day. In an opinion survey conducted in 2009, 31% of Colombians reported that they had been directly affected by the conflict.

Back to School Memories and Fundación Carla Cristina

Our partner Fundación Carla Cristina has not let any reports or opinion stop them. Their goal is very simple using education as a fundamental strategy they contribute to the integral development of preschool aged children in the unprotected communities of Medellín, Colombia. It’s a strategy that I can really get behind, what better path is there to a brighter future than education? Fundación Carla Cristina provides back to school kits with a brand new backpack, complete with notebooks, paper blocks, pencils, watercolors, brushes, crayons, and a toothbrush. Is there a cooler way to inspire a student than by providing back to school materials? I’m sure all of us have memories of getting our back to school clothes and notebooks. It’s something that’s ingrained in my mind. I encourage you to check it out for yourself. Why not provide a child with a memory and an education that will last a lifetime?

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