Colombia

Introduction to Colombia   (View video...)

Geographically situated in northwestern South America; Colombia shares its borders with Venezuela, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru and Panama.  It is a country that has been described as one of South America’s “most precious gems”.  Snow-capped mountains, lush rainforests, wind-swept beaches, colonial cities and joyful festivals highlight a traveler’s perspective of this diverse country. Colombian’s are proud of their cultural and intellectual history, and happily share it with the tourism industry.  But Colombia’s beauty and rich culture are a stark contrast to the difficulties this country faces.

When we hear of Colombia on the news, we hear of the drug trade, rebel soldiers and political instability.  What we don’t hear of is how the millions of average Colombian citizens survive in a country that is so devastated by these ills.  These average citizens suffer extreme hardships on a daily basis.  Poverty is rampant, affecting an estimated 60% of this country’s vast population.  In fact, 9.6 million Colombians are homeless.   9.6 million mothers, fathers, children and elders have no homes to go to.  The rural areas are most acutely affected, with an estimate of 80% of villagers living in extreme poverty.   These groups lack access to safe water, sewage treatment and communication services. With no communication services, villagers receive no advance warning of aerial eradication flights.  Since 2000 the US gov’t has conducted this controversial low level coca fumigation as part of its war on drugs.  Without knowledge of when the spraying will occur, wells are left uncovered, water becomes polluted, and entire villages suffer the health effects of herbicide contamination.  Typically, streams that are as vital as the wells are affected by the fumigation.

The province of Putumayo is one of the country’s most impoverished regions.  Life here is primitive by western standards, and infrastructure is extremely limited.  The cycle of poverty, poor nutrition, and water-borne disease affects many in this district.  Furthermore, this region is one of the epicenters of the Colombian internal conflict, and has a rate of forced displacement eight times higher than the national average.  According to reports from the Center for International Policy, paramilitary leaders and drug lords have gained vast wealth through displacement.  They have gained millions of acres, while leaving millions of people landless.  It is estimated that 40% of the cultivable land is in the hands of drug lords.  This truly limits what is available for millions of people to use for subsistence farming.  The tragedy is compounded by the fact that the subsistence crops are often destroyed through inaccurate and overzealous fumigation efforts.

 Our Project

Within Putumayo there are five branches of La Sede de Educacion Especial Maria Auxiliadora (Maria Auxiliadora School).  The school was founded on Sept 14^th, 1990 by a group of volunteers who were concerned about the growing number of developmentally and physically challenged children who were not accepted into the regular school system.  The school’s mandate is to educate and provide training for children and youth with disabilities.  Students acquire skills such as carpentry, dress making, baking and cabinet-making that will allow them to integrate into the community.

We have chosen to support branch 2 of the Maria Auxiliadora School.  As of summer 2008, three teachers are providing services to 29 students between the ages of 8 and 18.  The students are challenged by their disabilities, but also by malnutrition and the lack of adequate medical and psychological care.  The staff at the school struggle to maintain a sufficient supply of educational materials.  They have provided specific requests for the following materials:

-          computers to aid in the education of the deaf

-          dictation material

-          a video projector

-          supplies for music, dance, and theatre productions

 

All for Humanity Association of Alberta will begin our support to the school by purchasing the requested supplies online.  They will be delivered directly to the school.  It is our immediate goal to assist the school in maintaining adequate educational supplies and materials to carry out their vision.