Children's Land:Promoting responsible citizenship

The project provided children from Tadó and Condoto with the skills necessary to better handle their interpersonal relations, work as a team and think collectively. In both Children´s Land, a government body was decided and elected by the children, the land was distributed and allocated for different purposes, a flag, anthem and logo were agreed upon and artistic and cultural activities were developed (Tadó currently has a dance group that began as an initiative in our Children´s Land).

The project has successfully provided children from Tadó and Medellin with an appropriate space for recreation and learning activities. In Tadó a meeting house was constructed so that the children could have a cool and appropriate place for meetings and workshops. In Medellín, volunteers from Bancolombia, one of our local donors, helped in the design and construction of an orchard and recycling station.

Before the Children´s Land project was implemented, children in Tadó and La Gabriela had little or poor knowledge about their local natural environment and its importance. Through creative and outdoors activities, the children were able to identify local fauna and flora and water sources; and through environmental workshops they learned about their importance and how to make a proper se of them.

“Adult Committees” were formalized in both Children´s Land and have remained active throughout the project´s execution. These committees are indispensable for the project´s sustainability because they are responsible for looking out for the children and their rights.

The children from Medellín and Tadó have elected their representatives and planned what is going to be done with each plot of land. At the moment they are participating in different activities to build environmental awareness and provide them the needed skills to make the land they planned a reality. We are organizing a TiNi Bazar in Medellín were the children will have the chance to show their land to the community and develop artistic and environmental activities with the adults.

This methodology has already been implemented successfully in other countries, and the results we had so far make stronger our belief on its long term contribution. Our goal is to expand this same program to other regions of the Chocó Bioregion, and your contribution may be the key we need to make it real.

Thank you for your interest in our project, we appreciate any feedback and suggestions you may have to improve it.