By Claudia Vergara | Alliance coordinator
With a smile on her lips and the happiness of someone who receives the gift she has dreamed of, Sandra places her hands under a trickle of fresh water and takes a sip to quench her thirst. It is barely 8 o'clock in the morning and already there is a buzz of excitement, the sound of her classmates' laughter envelops the atmosphere of the Palmira Educational Institution, which today is dressed for a party.
And no wonder. Located in the village of Palmira, in Toluviejo (Sucre), in northern Colombia, this educational institution, like all the surrounding territory, has never had permanent access to drinking water, and today this dream is coming true. Meeting this need is only the beginning of the transformation of this territory.
In the year 2021, we identified that many children were dropping out of school in this school. Therefore, from our foundation, and through our ESCALA programme, we began to work with the community to identify the causes of dropout and seek solutions. During this process, we discovered that their fundamental rights were being violated by the lack of drinking water in the school.
This is why we set two clear objectives: to strengthen the basic learning competencies of the students and to find a solution to provide access to clean water, not only for the school, but for the whole community.
To address the problem of access to water, we teamed up with an expert partner in basic sanitation and offered a solution; and today, this dream has become a reality. We achieved a significant change in the institution by implementing a water purification solution, which requires simple maintenance and will be run by the school community itself. This solution will guarantee access to clean water for at least 900 people in the community for the next 20 years.
Help us to continue our work with ESCALA. Join us to keep working for children in rural Colombia to complete their studies and to continue offering solutions to schools in rural Colombia as we did in the school in Palmira.
Testimony:
"Before it was very difficult to drink water because we were not in optimal conditions (...) This has changed our lives, as we have also been taught how to take care of and treat water. The filtration system that provides us with drinking water also means less expense, because before we had to buy water and now, we don't", says an excited student.
Support for children and adolescents in rural areas of Colombia through the ESCALA programme so that they can complete their education and have more and better opportunities. https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/improving-the-rural-education-for-262-students/
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Con una sonrisa en los labios y la felicidad de quien recibe el regalo que tanto ha soñado, Sandra coloca sus manos bajo un hilo de agua fresca y bebe un sorbo para calmar su sed. Apenas son las 8 de la mañana y ya se siente la algarabía, el sonido de las risas de sus compañeros envuelve el ambiente de la Institución Educativa Palmira, que hoy se viste de fiesta.
Y no es para menos. Ubicada en el corregimiento Palmira, en Toluviejo (Sucre), al norte de Colombia, esta institución educativa, al igual que todo el territorio que la rodea, nunca ha tenido acceso permanente al agua potable, y hoy este sueño se hace realidad. Suplir esta necesidad es solo el inicio de la transformación de este territorio.
En el año 2021, identificamos que muchos niños y niñas abandonaban sus estudios en este colegio. Por eso, desde nuestra fundación, y a través de nuestro programa ESCALA, comenzamos a trabajar con la comunidad para identificar las causas de la deserción y buscar soluciones. Durante este proceso, descubrimos que sus derechos fundamentales estaban siendo vulnerados al no contar con agua potable en el colegio.
Es por esto que establecimos dos objetivos claros: fortalecer las competencias básicas de aprendizaje de los estudiantes y encontrar una solución para dar acceso al agua potable, no solo para el colegio, sino para toda la comunidad.
Para abordar el problema de acceso al agua nos unimos con un aliado experto en temas de saneamiento básico y ofrecimos una solución; y hoy, este sueño se ha convertido en una realidad. Logramos un cambio significativo en la institución mediante la implementación de una solución de potabilización de agua, la cual requiere un mantenimiento sencillo y estará a cargo de la misma comunidad educativa. Esta solución garantizará el acceso al agua potable para al menos 900 personas de la comunidad durante los próximos 20 años.
Ayúdanos a continuar nuestra labor con ESCALA. Acompáñanos a seguir trabajando por los niños y niñas de las zonas rurales de Colombia para que finalicen sus estudios y seguir ofreciendo soluciones a los colegios de zonas rurales de Colombia como lo hicimos en el colegio de Palmira.
Testimonio:
"Antes era muy difícil tomar agua porque no estábamos en condiciones óptimas. (...) Esto ha cambiado nuestras vidas, ya que también nos han enseñado a cuidar y tratar el agua. El sistema de filtración que nos proporciona agua potable también implica un menor gasto, ya que antes teníamos que comprar agua y ahora no", expresa emocionada una estudiante.
Apoyo a las niñas, niños y adolescentes de las zonas rurales de Colombia a través del programa ESCALA para que terminen su educación y tengan más y mejores oportunidades. https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/improving-the-rural-education-for-262-students/
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