By Matthew Clausen | VP for Partnerships and Programs
Progress continues to be made in Colombia thanks to your continued support and generous contributions. As you may remember, the students at UNINORTE in conjunction with Partners of the Americas participated in seven different volunteer projects, among them a citizen participation project, social leadership training in a community of 192,000 to share new methodologies about how to keep an active citizenry involved in local politics, and a training project for women artisans, to name but a few.
Recently, the artisan project mentioned above which trained 29 women artisans who produce crafts for export to improve their entrepreneurial skills and ability to develop producer cooperatives, elicited an inspired response from volunteer Karen Peña, who noted that:
“The most impressive aspect of volunteering is the simplicity and humility displayed by those who accept such a challenge. I can now say that I am a better human being … I gave my energy and generosity, responding to a basic human impulse: the desire to help others. When we concern ourselves with the welfare of others, mobilizing ourselves for social betterment, we do not only establish a firm bond of confidence and solidarity, but at the same time contribute a small grain of sand to Barranquilla, Colombia and to the World, getting better one day at a time.”
Young volunteer Melitza Torres, having volunteered as part of the Best of Barranquilla project, reflected on her experience and said:
“My decision to begin volunteering was dead on, and was an experience that I have never had and that allowed me to realize that there are so many problems y so many people with needs, who on their own, can not resolve them. Colombia is where we, the students … have the biggest opportunity to transform the quality of life within our city. Lucas, Paolo, and I supported an environmental theme in the Public Market of Barranquilla, raising awareness for those who deserve a better place to work and to better themselves. Volunteering is personal growth; it is a feeling of belonging to the city; it is consciousness and it is commitment.”
In closing, we hope that you shall maintain your continued support of this project by giving to ensure its continuity and expansion, so that many more grains of sand can be added to the collective good of Barranquilla, Colombia and beyond. Volunteers, young and old, can do so much with your support.
Note: Please check back here soon to see a video of all seven initial projects. Additional documentation in Spanish is attached to this report. [Documentos adicionales en espanol se encuentran con este informe.]
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