Intellectual disability:Busting Myths in Colombia

Paige is GlobalGiving's Champion for Customer Bliss in our office in Washington, DC. During a trip to Colombia, she had the chance to visit some of GlobalGiving's projects. Here is her postcard from the field.

When I arrived in Barranquilla to meet with Martha and Fundown Caribe’s team, I was greeted by the city’s infamous arroyos or rivers that form in streets during storms. For the several hours of torrential rains, Barranquilla slows to a stand still except for the kids running out to play in the flooded roads. Martha had planned on taking me to their event that day, an awareness building booth set up in the large and high-traffic mall in the center of town. However, the rains meant that the event was, sadly, going to be postponed to another day.

The good news is I was still able to meet with Martha and her team at their offices! Fundown’s offices are neat, clean, and multipurpose – some rooms have areas for young children to learn and play, others are set up as learning centers, and still others have medical supplies for the occasional check up days that Fundown Caribe organizes. What was most interesting about the office was that it is not a “center.”

“We do not keep kids here – we are not a care center. We are here to raise awareness about Down Syndrome in the community!”

And this is the amazing part about Fundown Caribe! They work hard to inform people that Down Syndrome isn’t the “disease” they think it is. Instead, the team works to let people know of the rights of those with intellectual disabilities, that they can learn and understand, and that the dignity of these individuals should be respected and protected! However, advocacy is hard to sell, especially when you’re working to treat your beneficiaries with respect. “People want to see sad photos,” Martha explains, “and we refuse to do that. We are here to show how those with Down Syndrome are the same as you and me!”

And indeed she is right! I was able to see all of the printed material they’ve been using, get an insight into the workshops offered to parents and teachers, and share ideas on how GlobalGiving can further help them with their work.

I even got the pleasure of meeting with Kristi, one of Fundown Caribe’s spokespeople! Kristi is bright and fun, an artist who loves music and is working at a publication. She also happens to have Down Syndrome. She’s a perfect example of the achievements Fundown Caribe – she’s an active member of a society that is sometimes not so accepting of someone who seems different than them, and she’s working with Fundown to help promote and continue their work!