Colombia 2009

Well, we've all been back for a week now. It's still pretty weird to think about all that we experienced during our time in Colombia. Having seen how so many families and children live in some of the areas we visited, I am seriously reevaluating my own purchasing habits. $4 for a cup of coffee seems even sillier now. At least I brought back some Colombian coffee to make at home!

After 3 long days of visiting schools, hospitals and local businesses, we had a day on the water to relax and enjoy the Carribbean. We took a boat ride for an hour to an island off the coast of Cartegena to enjoy a beach resort, aquarium tour and dolphin show and snorkeling. We enjoyed the scenery, the sun and water and a chance to relax. The days of visiting with the children have been lots of fun. Despite the fact that most of these families are very poor, they are very happy and so excited to share their time with us.

Yesterday, we spent our last day at 2 organizations: Semillas de Esperanza and Fundacion de Jesus.

We painted the mural in the picture alongside the children at Semillas de Esperanza. It reads: Boys and girls have the right to: health, education, etc. It was great to see that the mural was both a bright and friendly addition to the space as well as a meaningful message.

On Saturday evening, we had a wonderful dinner at a restaurant in the historic center of Cartagena where we met our community partners from the various agencies that we will be working with this week.
Some of the groups and foundations represented include:
Semillas de Esperanza: Marta Orolonez
Fundacion de Jesus: Ivan Sierra, Mary de Sierra, Nelson Dickson, Elias Francy
Fundacion Cartagena Global: Dr. Fabio Anaya, Katia Anaya, Magola Anaya
Beraka Tours: Elida Esqui, Carlos Delgadillo, Carlos Matio Delgadillo
Fundacion Emprender: Luis Manuel Carvajalino, Elvira Martinez de Carvajalino

Here is a picture of our group when we arrived at the Cartagena airport.
Megan K.

Wow! It's been such a busy day today and yesterday.
Here's a quick recap of our travel to Cartagena:
We had to arrive at the airport around 4am (way early for many of us). We got there with just enough time for all of us to make it through security and board the plane.
We then flew to Atlanta, then to Miami, and finally arrived in Cartagena!
In the picture you can see some of the people who were at the airport to welcome us. The work that Ambassadors for Children does in Cartagena is really appreciated by the community.

Check back soon for more!
Megan K.

We just all arrived and are settling in. I plan to post pictures and more details tonight!

Look for many more posts from all of us :)

Megan K.

Here is a tentative itinerary, which we expect to change at least a few times over the course of the week. It is a rough outline of the activities and projects that will be taking place.

Saturday, March 7th
Arrive in Cartagena, Colombia and check into Hotel Costa del Sol. AFC orientation and Welcome Dinner in the evening at 7:30 PM in the hotel. At the dinner, we will have the opportunity to meet some of the local partners and begin learning more about Colombian culture.

Sunday, March 8th

Last Friday we all got together to meet and pack bags in preparation for our group's departure early Saturday morning. Everyone seemed very excited for the trip. All that's left to do now is make sure we don't forget any important items.

Tomorrow I plan to post an itinerary (tentative) for our trip so that you all know what to expect to hear from us.

Looking forward to next week,
Megan

Last month, we all met for our Ambassadors for Children orientation meeting. It really inspired us all to get ready to go! At this point, we are still collecting supplies to bring with us. We plan to have a packing party the week before we leave, so hopefully we'll have all the things we need to bring by then.
Please check back frequently now and throughout the week of March 7th - 14th while we are in Colombia for an updated look on how the trip is going!