From June 25 to 29, 2023, Unity Foundation President Fernand Schaber and Board member Paul Arbab travelled to Colombia to visit our partner organization FUNDAEC, with whom we have been working since 2008. The visit served to strengthen the bonds of friendship and mutual understanding between our two organizations, and to learn more about the impact of the Preparing for Social Action (PSA) program we fund in the Caribbean region of Colombia.
Meeting at FUNDAEC headquarters in Cali
The visit opened with a meeting at FUNDAEC headquarters attended by six members of our partner’s national team and board of directors, before visiting projects in the field over the following days. This was an opportunity for us to present Unity Foundation’s current activities, to listen to a presentation of FUNDAEC’s programs, and finally to consult on the relationship between our two organizations. The impact of the PSA program in society was one of the topics of discussion at this meeting.
Meeting at FUNDAEC offices.
FUNDAEC staff present shared that community members report that the intellectual and educational level of young people who take part in the PSA program has increased, and that they achieve better results in formal education exams than those who do not. Above all, they show more initiative and perseverance in their life projects. Many have noted a change in attitude or behavior, particularly among young people, which they attribute to the spiritual and moral dimension of the program.
We also note that some young people who have completed the PSA program now occupy leadership positions within their communities. Some, for example, are involved in local governance bodies such as the Juntas de Accion communal, to drive change in their communities.
Departure for Córdoba and meeting with the protagonists of the PSA program
We then travelled to Santa Cruz de Lorica (Córdoba department), in the Caribbean region of Colombia. There, we took part in five meetings with the many protagonists at the forefront of the delivery of the PSA program: the zonal coordination team, groups of tutors and program participants. At each space, attendees talked about how they came to know the program, what drew them to it, and the influence it has had on their lives.
Meeting with the Córdoba zonal coordination team; meeting with Córdoba Central Unit tutors; meeting with tutors and participants of the PSA program at the Northern Córdoba Unit; with participants from Lorica’s PSA groups; meeting at Los Guayacanes.
Visit to productive projects
FUNDAEC has developed a seed fund with financial support from Unity Foundation. The purpose of this seed fund is to provide access to credit to help set up productive projects. It was established in 2021 and in its first year has supported 74 small productive initiatives, 3 productive projects, and 6 small businesses. To date, some 400 projects have been launched with the support of this seed fund.
We had the opportunity to see three of them during our visit. Tutor Jader Luis Ramos Gonzales showed us his poultry production project. With the help of the seed fund, he bought 60 chicks and started a poultry business in his backyard. We also visited the Pacheco family, who have launched a community store in Los Castillos. We were moved to hear their testimonies and how their productive project promotes not only their own prosperity but also that of their community. Finally, we had the opportunity to visit the Gaspar family who have launched their productive project of typical Cañaflecha handicrafts.
Visit to productive projects.
This visit was rich in encounters and exchanges, and reinforced our gratitude for being able to collaborate with a partner such as FUNDAEC. The building of capacity in individuals and local communities through the PSA program was visible throughout the visit, reinforcing our conviction in the potential of this program not only in Colombia but also in the other countries where it is delivered.
FUNDAEC will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2024, and we hope to return for this historic occasion!
