Marcela tiene 15 años y vive con su madre, su padrastro, su hermano, su cuñada y su sobrino en Bogotá. Las relaciones en su casa han sido a menudo problemáticas22 June 2022
Read More“As the Fundraising Coordinator at Children Change Colombia I feel very happy and honoured to have completed nine months in the team. I’m glad to be part of what I consider is one of the most active organisations in the field of the promotion and protection of children’s rights in Colombia. Aside from my day to day work activities, CCC gave me the opportunity to participate in various events that allowed me to familiarise with its vision and to get first hand experience of project development.”
Among these events I’d like to highlight a visit to our project partner’s headquarters in Bogotá including CRAN, Tiempo de Juego, CDE and ACJ, a capacity-building activity focused on training our staff from all over Colombia in techniques to help children cope with trauma, as well as a beautiful theatre performance called “El Bunde del Agua” from our partner CDE in the Ibero-American Theatre Festival (IATF). The theatre performance was the result of the trip of ten children and young people (CYP) from Círculo de Estudios to Paris. It seeked to promote artistic, cultural and personal exchanges among the youth from Quibdó and Paris Nanterre, facilitating links between them.
Throughout the performance, I could hear dialogues in both French and Spanish about themes of diversity, empathy and closeness. One of the parts I liked the most was the fact that each piece was performed with live music, and not only regular music, but typical Colombian music, so I enjoyed hearing the marimba and bongos. Plus, the stage was arranged with a video screen in the background showing videos and the natural sounds of Colombia, which gave a feeling of travelling the pacific throughout the time passed.
On the other hand, some parts of the play shocked the audience, showcasing the reality of afro colombian children working in illegal mining and the issue of international drugs trafficking. Even some fragments of the iconic book “100 years of solitude” from Gabriel Garcia Marquez was recited in french making reference to Colombian society. I think bringing this topic into conversation is important as it educates the audience about the difficult reality vulnerable children from Colombia face everyday and this is always the first step to mobilise, help or take action.
This performance in the IATF has been news of great pride for people living in Quibdó, and has meant a great contribution to the lives of CYP. Ultimately, the group of adolescents feel more self-confident, raising their self-esteem and desire to achieve their life goals.
Marcela tiene 15 años y vive con su madre, su padrastro, su hermano, su cuñada y su sobrino en Bogotá. Las relaciones en su casa han sido a menudo problemáticas22 June 2022
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Read MoreMarcela is 15 years old and lives with her mother, stepfather, brother, sister-in-law and nephew in Bogotá. The relationships in her household have often been problematic, and left her feeling22 June 2022
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Read MoreA principios de junio, realizamos la primera edición de los premios Colombian Changemakers Awards para celebrar los colombianos que viven en el Reino Unido.
Read MoreAt the beginning of June, we hosted the first edition of the Colombian Changemakers Awards to honour the diverse talent and dedication of remarkable Colombians in the UK.
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