Prevent Sexual and Gender Violence in Colombia

Dear Friends at GlobalGiving, 

We would like to begin by thanking you for the support you have given to Children Change Colombia over the years. This platform and the different donors that are involved have been essential; your backing has had a huge impact on the lives of hundreds of vulnerable children, young people and community members throughout Colombia. Your generous support is helping keep at-risk children safe from the dangers in their communities, and is allowing them to develop important life skills and strengthen their capacities in order to build positive futures for themselves. 

One of our crucial projects is: 'Reducing conflict-related sexual violence and commercial sexual exploitation against children and young people'. This project was implemented in 2021 and came to term this year; it has been executed alongside our partner organizations ACJ and CDE. We are excited to report that we intend to continue developing this project, launching another 3-year programme for the initiative. 

This project was - and will continue to be - focused in the Colombian cities of Bogotá, Cartagena, and Quibdó. The project aimed to strengthen the capacties of vulnerable children and young people: with the help of local community members, educators, and family members and guardians, beneficiaries were empowered and equipped wiht the skills to understand and defend their rights, as well as process and heal from the trauma(s) they have faced. 

The past three years have been incredibly successful. Every year, we have consistently helped hundreds of beneficiaries and youth leaders, with a notable uptick in the past 2023-2024 cycle (across all three cities, a total of 623 beneficiaries were seen). Parents, carers, teachers, and public servants were also incorporated heavily into the project, and maintained a high level of interest in the programme. Overall, beneficiaries have learned how to identify and prevent certain patterns of violence, develop critical thinking skills and self-advocacy, and regulate and process thier emotions in effective ways. Such skills and lessons were acquired through the establishment of safe spaces, art-based activities, and open dialogues. We have had a variety of special projects and events, including the visit of the British Ambassador in Colombia to the project. 

We are thrilled to see how this project will continue to develop and conitnue to help children, families, and communities across Colombia. 

Thank you so much again for your ongoing support!