Support Meaningful Social Impact in Colombia

You are going to love the advances we have made this summer-- thank you for helping us make it this far.

We have a lot of news to share with you:

First, in La Comuna 8, Medellín, for the Project “Recuperando Vida”—in English “Recovering Life”, we made important headway with the private sector to establish links between Recyclers in Cerro de los Valores and the private sector, opening up arkets for them to sell the recyclable materials that they collect.

In the same region of Medellín, we set up 200 square meters of gardens in the School Vida para Todos (“life for all” in English) along with our project partners, Bancolombia and The Chef is Back. The students are now not only growing food for the community, but are also taking their natural sciences and chemistry classes in the garden. Time outside, working collaboratively and towards a common goal is known as what is called “ecotherapy”—the students have told is that it makes them more relaxed, they feel like they can solve problems better and work have more peaceful relationships with their fellow students and teachers.

Both of these projects are part of an integral approach to development in La Comuna 8 that we are promoting, alongside our new action-research program “Indicators for Peace”.

When we work with a community, our first question is “What is the change you want to see?” Then our second question is: “What do you want to measure?”

We have several different programs, from recycling to mangrove protection in Rincón del Mar. However, across the variety of programs, one of the most important changes that people wanted to measure where coexistence, peacebuilding and reconciliation on a local, even neighborhood level.

For this reason, we created the Indicators for Peace project, so that we can give the communities what they asked for—a way to measure, manage, and ensure that our projects promote coexistence through other benefits provided to the communities.

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In Rincón del Mar, we have decided to get our hands dirty with the trash problem. We have dusted off and are in the process of restructuring the business model of a small group of habitants in Rincón del Mar who have been collecting trash over the years. This process is critical to protecting the mangroves, as one of the biggest threats to the mangroves is trash being thrown in them.

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June through August, we have been in La Macarena, Meta; and Quibdó Chocó with our Strategic Ally, Fundación MIMA, working on waste management, recycling and community development projects. These projects will become a part of the E2E portfolio in 2018.

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We have also given three workshops for Project Design and Management since June in Medellín and Chocó, training commnity leaders how to design projects, solve problems and manage their impact. These workshops give social change leaders the tools they need to make a big difference. With these last 3 workshops, we have trained over 100 social change leaders in Colombia. 

We have one more workshop coming up in November, and two scheduled for 2018 already! we firmly believe that these workshops are critical to multiplying our impact and empowering commmunities. 

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We have also strengthened our relationship with First American Realty, one of our closest allies in Medellín. You can find out more about First American here.

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E2E is a lean, organized and hard-hitting non-profit looking to make real, long lasting impacts in Colombia. We recently just achieved our 501c3 status in the USA, which means that you can now donate directly to E2E and receive full tax benefits!

We operate by the support of people like you. That is why I am asking you to share this information, and if you are able- donate!

You can donate through GlobalGiving, or you can contact me directly through our website. 

Thanks again to all of our supporters and followers.

Teryn Wolfe

Executive Director

P.S. 

I apologize for the lack of photos and media-- I am literally, sitting on a wooden platform in a jungle right now, and don´t have enough service to upload photos! You can follow os on Facebook for more media. 

Thanks for understanding! 

Links:

• Write up in El Tiempo on the school gardens in Vida para Todos

Multiplying Social Impact Agents, Urban Gardens for economic development and food security, Recycling For Peacebuilding and Environmental Protection, Mangrove Protection and Community Development; and providing opportunities and support for Reintegration and Reconciliation. 

Mangrove Protection and Communtiy Development in Rincón del Mar, Sucre 

"¡Cuidado con el caiman!", 

yelled Jalimer, as the piece of dead, floating mangrove wood headed out to the  Caribbean Ocean. It was the last week of April, Rincón del Mar was completely flooded, and nearly 20 members of the community came with shovels and buckets to dig out the sedimented mouth of the mangrove and drain the town. 

Alongside Oliver, the Project Coordinator, and Jalimer, the Project Representative in Rincón, standing in several feet of water for the whole morning, I trudged back in forth in sewage water that was leaving the damaged mangroves-- and consequently had flooded the entire town-- for several hours, bringing food, water and keeping children on high ground out of the floodwaters. 

The floodwaters are poisonous. There is no sewage system in the town, and all of the sewage and greywaters run into the mangrove. When the town floods, the houses, stores and schools are flooded with filthy water. This leads to painful skin rashes, diarrhea, intestinal infections and other unnecessary, and easily avoided sicknesses. 

Mangroves are one of the most powerful natural water filters, offering important ecosystem services that clean water naturally. However, due to the environmental degradation in Rincón del Mar, the potential to mitigate social harm has severely diminished. 

Our project in Rincón del Mar will restore the mangroves surrounding the village, and restoriong critical health and social benefits to approximately 4,000 poeple that live in Rincón del Mar. 

We have a Project Manager with internation experience; we have trained 4 mangrove protectors from RIncón del Mar; attained necessary licenses and have made strong local connections to ensure the success of the project. 

Currently, the only missing element for this project is financing. 

Recuperando Vida, Medellín, Colombia

"Recycling is not just making sure we don´t generate more trash-- it is giving our communities a new opportunity at life, and especially for those who are being reintegrated, and desperately need someone to take them under their wing. With this project, we are there".

Recuperando Vida is one of the most important undertakings of my life. I have had the privilege of working alongside so many fantastic people who have no opportunities to a better life. Then E2E came along, and we were able to awaken inspiration and connect local actors who were divided by invisible frontiers of violence. We trained them, and they are currenntly working to give back to their commuities by cleanin up-- and simultaneously receving opportunties for a better life through the project Recuperando Vida.

Recuperando Vida takes place in one of the most difficult neighborhoods in all of Medellín. During my time working on this project, we have lost friends and allies to violence, but keep moving forward to create a positive environmental and social impact. Little by little, through a recycling program, we are building peace and reconciliation while better the quality of life in the community. 

In January of 2017, our activities stopped, due to a lack of funding. At a critical time for reintegration and peace efforts in Colombia, Medellín cannot afford to lose important interventions like Recuprando Vida. 

We need your help to keep this project alive. 

Huertas Urbanas, la Comuna 8, Medellín, Colombia 

We have identified 51 families in an area around el Cerro de los Valores who have no access to economic oportunities-- and therefore a chance to offer their children and families a better life. Many of the families are displaced from Eastern Antioquia, where rural violence still forcefully displaces families to the city where they find chaos and confusion, and no place to exercise their knowledge and way of life. This contributes to greater social exclusion, mistrust and the greater cycle of violence in the community. 

Our project "Huertas Urbanas" seeks to bridge the gap by helping families in rural area create productive gardens and sell together, creating cooperation and new economic opportunities in the community. 

We have made important relationships with local chefs and cooks to make sure that these leaders have a place to sell their produce. The only missing piece is an initial capital investment that will allow us to supply the gardeners with initial inputs for their gardens, transportation and management. This project can start with a mere 26,000 investment-- with huge social returns.  

The E2E Team 

E2E´s team is growing, and so are our responsibilities and potential impact. So are the risks of doing nothing. We are busy on the ground supporting our project teams and depend on your financial support which allows us to focus on executing our mission. 

As a wise of mine once said: "Only people create strong bonds, and trust creates opportunity. Whoever gives, will also receive more than he could have imagined". 

We want to build a strong bond with you and invite you to join our mission.

That is why i am asking you to become a monthly donor. Any amount helps-- no donation is insignificant for us. The benefits and joy you will receive and create are inmeasurable. 

We sincerely appreciate your suppor for our efforts. 

Links:

• Recuperando Vida