Some facts about the country
Along the Caribbean coast of Colombia, an essentially rural region, there are large livestock farms and large agricultural farms. The main focus is on the development of large-scale farming and cattle breeding for commercial purposes. The rate of food production for local needs is inadequate, endangering the local population, which for the most part does not have sufficient income. In addition, few young people have access to quality secondary education and there is an overwhelming sense of hopelessness about their power to break the cycle of poverty. In the face of these circumstances, many young people join illegal armed groups or move to urban centers in the region and beyond looking for work or to continue their education. Aware of this social reality, FUNDAEC systematically explores an approach to social and economic development that builds the confidence and ability of young people to become agents of positive social change in their local community.
Our partner
Founded in 1974 and recognized as an NGO since 1989, FUNDAEC (Fundación para la Aplicación y Enseñanza de las Ciencias, or the Foundation for the Application and Teaching of the Sciences in English) is the oldest organization with which Unity Foundation collaborates. For more than 50 years, FUNDAEC has dedicated itself to creating capacity within local populations to enable them to carry out action and research related to the various processes that make up their social, economic, and cultural life.
At the heart of FUNDAEC’s efforts lies the conviction that knowledge plays a central role in the development of a population, and that communities should not only have access to information but also participate fully in the generation and application of knowledge. To this end, FUNDAEC has developed over the years the SAT program (Sistema de Aprendizaje Tutorial, or System for Tutorial Learning in English), based on a series of textbooks that, on the one hand, present knowledge from different fields in a way that is relevant to the reality of students in rural areas of Colombia, and on the other hand, are the result of the systematization of new knowledge generated by the learning processes that have been set in motion in the region. Those who take part in their study and learn to apply the knowledge acquired contribute in turn to generate knowledge and the new lessons learned from collective action can continue to be systematized through this program.
In response to the interest expressed by a growing number of organizations around the world in adopting SAT, FUNDAEC modified some of the program’s content and in the mid-2000s created the Preparation for Social Action (PSA) program, which is offered as an informal educational program – a program that Unity Foundation has been helping to fund in Colombia since 2008.
Goals
Some of the numerical goals of the five-year project (2022-2026) supported by Unity Foundation are as follows:
- 1,200 participants in the PSA program accompanied by 81 tutors,
- 40 agricultural plots and 90 backyard gardens cultivated.
Updates & stories from the field
LINES OF ACTION
Preparation for Social Action (PSA) program
LOCATION
Departments of Córdoba and Sucre
PARTNER
FUNDAEC (Fundación para la Aplicación y Enseñanza de las Ciencias)
COLLABORATION WITH UNITY FOUNDATION
Since 2008
DURATION
Framework agreement “accord-cadre” 2022-2026
TOTAL BUDGET
€439,827.30
