By Banco de Alimentos de Bogota | Banco de Alimentos de Bogota
Educating in areas where drug addiction and informality are the daily bread is a great challenge. Together with partner organizations, such as Taller del Maestro, we are a light of hope and a place of transformation through art. This organization serves children in their early childhood and teenagers. Each child in its first stage is like a sponge that absorbs everything, and together, we intend to leave a mark in those early years of life through nutritional components, values, and good care.
This organization, hand in hand with the Food Bank of Bogota, has been working for more than a decade in the Santa Fe neighborhood, one of Bogota's most dangerous and unequal areas. It has been quite a challenge, as most of the children who attend come from impoverished families. Currently, we serve mothers who are heads of households, migrant population, sex workers, or street vendors; previously, many families displaced by violence from María La Baja, Bolívar, used to come here.
They work with early childhood kids from 0 to 5 years of age; with them, the pedagogical program is developed based on creativity and playfulness. They use art a lot because many of these children, unfortunately, live in very secluded, small, and dark spaces. As for the support for the teenagers, a program with a dance, theater, and music school was implemented on Saturday, using artistic expression to enhance the talents of the adolescents. The TALLER DEL MAESTRO provides not only the pedagogical component but also the nutritional one.
Erika Marcela Benitez, the pedagogical coordinator, assures that: "We give our children breakfast, snack, and lunch. Many children only eat what they are offered at school, so ensuring a balanced and healthy diet is essential for their development and proper performance. The Food Bank of Bogota has been our primary support in nutritional issues, and the college interns they send us leave their mark, guide us, and teach us more. The Bank has been a blessing for us because it enriches our activities positively and extraordinarily.
The transformations that take place at El Taller are incredible. For example, some time ago, a girl entered the program at four years old. During the process, the team noticed that the way the mother looked was inappropriate and not desirable for a mother. It was evident she had a background. El Taller del Maestro began to work with her to give her advice and guidance, and little by little, she opened her heart and became an example for her daughter. Today, she is one of the collaborators of our allied organization.
This story is a moving testimony of how education and nutrition can change lives. Together, we are strengthening the mission of nourishing the hearts of those who need it most; let's keep fighting #TogetherAgainstHunger.
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By Lina Barrantes | Fundraising Coordinator
By Lina Barrantes | Fundraising Coordinator
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