Healing Colombia
Project Managers: Sophia Dow and Mario Torres
Healing Colombia has dedicated itself to the overall moral and emotional recovery of Colombia's youth at risk. In partnership with government institutions, the therapeutic community and other NGOs in Bogotá, Healing Colombia works to rescue underprivileged kids from lives of crime and violence. Programs and activities include:
- music therapy sessions
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human development workshops
- drug prevention programs
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humanitarian aid to poor communities
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sports programs and other recreational activities
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English-language courses
Santa fe de Bogota, Colombia
Staff members visiting a home for abandoned children where we regularly help with food and clothing needs.
Among our programs, Healing Colombia focused on a neighborhood where violence reigned. Two years ago, 14 teenagers in the area were killed in gang wars between the three main gangs. This year, one of the gangs has disappeared. Why? After a year of intense group therapy and personalized attention, the leaders of the gang decided it's not worth it to throw their lives away in this senseless manner! This has caused a chain reaction and impacts the whole community.
Colombia is the center of a long-standing conflict surrounding drug traffic and terrorist movements. There is a war going on, with the highest kidnapping rate in the world (85% of all kidnappings world-wide!), a violent death every 15 minutes (compare this to the USA, having 3 times the population, and a violent death every 30 minutes), and hundreds of homeless as a result of the war between the guerillas and the paramilitary.
Most people know very little about the Colombian province of Choco, which is located on the northern Pacific coast of the country. The population is almost completely of African descent. 80 percent of the population lives in poverty and illiteracy, and unemployment runs at 70 percent. Only in a couple African countries are the number of displaced people higher than in this part of Colombia.
Twenty-four youngsters from between 12 to 20 joined hands and sang softly for the audience of 1000 people. The young people all wore matching cowboy bandanas on their heads, as some had no hair and the others wanted everyone to look the same. Silence fell on the crowd. While these kids don’t sing professionally, their sweet faces and calm presence hushed even the most rowdy spectator.
On January 24, 2000, some of the Healing Colombia team members were preparing to travel to another city when suddenly the earth began to move. It continued for what seemed to be an eternity! The ground roared, the house shook and creaked, various things broke in the house, and roof tiles started shattering. We’ll never forget the experience.