Bucaramanga

Bucaramanga | Santander | Colombia |

 

This was the first project of its kind implemented in Bucaramanga, Santander. About 800 people benefited from this program and enjoyed the company of around 60 volunteers from Colombia and the US. The scope of this program was intended to keep the children’s minds away from social issues they have to face every day in their neighborhood and some of them in their home. The first goal of the 2011 program was to provide school supplies to ensure 400 children from an unprivileged neighborhood of Bucaramanga could have the tools to efficiently learn what was taught in the classrooms. The children who benefited from this social project lived in very low-income households, and many of the family build an improvised place in the surrounding slum.

The second goal was to offer the 400 children and their families a full day to enjoy health seminars, psychological attention, sports and recreation training, and a happy healthy meal. The company of young professionals volunteering in the project was a strategy to stress with personal examples the importance of continuing with their education.

The third goal was to provide one-year English scholarships to the top 4 students of the elementary school to give them the opportunity to start becoming more competitive for today’s world. These top students were not only selected for the scholarships but also to be part of a long-term process with SEF, in which we could mentor them and help them make their college education possible.

 

Community Overview

The capital of the Colombian department, Bucaramanga is a city with a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds. SEF visited a community on the periphery of the city, where many children and families suffer from the effects of poverty. SEF and OU students originally were to help 100 students from the San Pedro school, but after fundraising, all primary school students were able to be helped. The Bucaramanga community itself is filled with bright, motivated kids that have a thirst for education! When SEF came, we were told that sports make up a generous portion of leadership development in the community so, we provided jerseys, balls, and other equipment to the school.

  • Personas aproyando 82% 82%

  • 406 primary school kids helped from San Pablo INEM school
  • Provided dental kits and check-ups
  • Sports equipment donated to school
  • 4 English-language scholarships granted to top 4 students

  • School located in the Bucaramanga neighborhood which has a social level rated to 2 in a scale from 0 to 6.
  • The slum around the neighborhood has a social level unofficially rated to 0 (in the 0 to 6 scale) and it is not registered in the mayor’s office.
  • This area of Bucaramanga is known to be constantly affected by mud slides during rainy season.

  • One of our largest projects to date
  • Started working in 2010
  • Scholarship program since 2010
  • 800 People impacted
  • $7,000 usd invested

  • IDEI English Institute
  • Policia Nacional
  • Bucaramanga Mayor’s Office
  • Maria Lilia Tamayo - Academic Director for Public Schools in Bucaramanga

Solutions & outcomes

Academic Resources

Sport & Physical activities

scholarship

Educational development & workshop

Health & Wellness