Marisol, Lina, and I would like to express a heartfelt thanks to every donor who made this project possible. In just over a month, you were able to completely make over a school and change the lives of 30 students.
The school building, as mentioned in the video in the previous post, had several problems. It hadn’t been painted in many years, the roof had huge holes in it and leaked terribly every time it rained, and the school was in bad shape in general.
In Belén de Umbría, a tiny two-room school serves a marginalized community. Andrés Escobar Primary School has two teachers and 30 students from preschool to 5th grade. Many of the students have discipline issues or learning disabilities. Some come from broken families, have just one parent, or are raised by their grandparents. A few students have been displaced by violent conflict in Colombia while others have drug addicts or prostitutes in their families. All of the students come from very low-income families that struggle to afford school supplies, uniforms, and lunches.
Do you ever wonder what really goes into making your morning cup of coffee? It’s not something most people think twice about. Living in Colombia, one of the top coffee producers in the world, I’ve seen firsthand what it takes to make a simple cup of coffee. For many people, coffee isn’t just a refreshing hot drink. It’s their livelihood, culture, and much more.
The small town of Calarcá, just outside of Armenia, hosts the Quindío Botanical Garden (Jardín Botánico del Quindío). It’s one of the best botanical gardens in all of Colombia and a must-see when visiting the UNESCO World Heritage listed Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia.
If you’re in Guática and feeling adventurous, you can head to the small village of Santa Ana. It’s located down the road from Guática, well off the beaten path. It’s also part of the UNESCO World Heritage listed Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia.
Usually involving a big gathering of friends and family, sancocho is one of the most popular Colombian dishes. It’s a stew with a mishmash of meat and vegetable ingredients, so much so that the people cooking it sometimes forget every single ingredient that went into making it.
Chinchiná is a large town located about halfway between the cities of Manizales and Pereira. It’s part of the UNESCO World Heritage listed Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia.
These two small coffee towns in the department of Caldas, Neira and Aranzazu, are both part of the UNESCO World Heritage listed Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia. Neither one are particularly worth visiting, but they both have beautiful settings and its an enjoyable ride through lush green mountains.