Colombia
The district of Aguablanca in the vast metropolis of Cali, home to some two million inhabitants, is characterised by violence, drugs and armed conflict. For many young people, joining gangs of youths seems to be the only way out. Together with our local partner organisation Paz y Bien, we create safe spaces for young people and promote non-violent prospects for a better future through educational programmes.
Hear from the people on the ground
José Eliseo Mosquera Correa
22 years old
Cali is one of the most dangerous cities in the world. One third of the city’s population lives in Aguablanca, one of the poorest districts. Violence, armed conflict and the notorious Cali Cartel dominated the city for decades. Until the middle of the 1990s, the cartel controlled large parts of Cali and claimed hundreds of lives every year. The persistent violence has left deep scars. Many young people adopt violent behavior, are tempted by the prospect of fast money and slip into crime – often with fatal consequences.
The aim is to help to create a life free of violence for children, young people and their families in three neighbourhoods of the district of Aguablanca.
In the the last project phase 200 adolescents and young adultsand their families benefitted from our work.
Paz y Bien was founded in 1987 and carries out important peace work in Aguablanca, a neighborhood predominantly inhabited by Afro-Colombians. terre des hommes schweiz has been supporting this organisation since 2009.
We work in the neighbourhood of Aguablanca, a district of Cali. The current project phase covers the years 2021–2024 with an annual budget of CHF 80,000.
terre des hommes schweiz
Kasernenhof 8
4058 Basel