A New Beginning for 71 families in Colombia

Dear Supporters,

We hope this message finds you well and that you are enjoying the coming Summer. We have raised a considerable amount of money for the ‘A New Beginning’ project since our last report and for that, I’d like to say THANK YOU!!

We continue to be surprised by the tenacity that the community of Los Medios shows. Not only this, but the warmness and kindness of the people of Los Medios is something that we at Together for Colombia enjoy every time we go to visit.

The lives of the families of Los Medios have been changing for the better since we were able to start helping them move back to their homes. As you are well aware, the community which is mainly focussed on Panela production, received specialised training in the sugar-cane growing and panela production processes. They acquired invaluable skills from an experienced agronomist Dinora Patricia, which have allowed them to modify their business processes to increase efficiency and revenue.

For example the dynamic performance training inspired harvests of sugar-cane (which take a year to yield) and frijoles beans (which only take four months) to be alternated, to allow the less nutrient demanding frijoles crop to regenerate the soil. This regeneration process means the next sugar-cane crop is of a better quality and can therefore demand a higher price in the panela market.  Additionally the community can supplement their income by selling the frijoles yield, which comes in 3 times a year.

The Los Medios community has seen further reaching developments as well, including a higher matriculation rate in the local school. There are now 94 students and 5 teachers at the school, which is a great increase from previous years. Students are coming from neighbouring villages to enrol in what was once a desolate and empty building, but what is now a blooming centre for education.

Over and above the amazing developments already achieved, we still have some progress to make. The ‘campesino’, or rural, mentality needs to be continuously moulded to allow for increasing change and innovation. With our help, the community has begun to learn new ways of production and generation, but they understandably are still hesitant to completely renovate their practices. With your help, we can continue to show them small changes, that do not compromise the integrity of the community, people, traditions or product, but that will help them to learn and develop into more entrepreneurial business owners.

We have the next trip to Los Medios in the diary and will certainly be sending you an update as soon as we return. In the meantime, if there is anything you would like to say or comment on, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

As ever, we at Together for Colombia, and the community of Los Medios, are eternally grateful for your generous donations.

Speak soon and take care!

Daniel