In Colombia a very special date is celebrated in the month of April: Children’s Day. And at Poder Joven we celebrate it with games, ludic activities, and lots of fun. In addition, through workshops and meetings, we reflect with the children about the different actors in society: families, government, and citizens at large. These activities help us promote the principle of co-responsibility, reminding us that we are all called to promote the rights of children and take actions that benefit their welfare.
In the month of March, we held a very special workshop with the teenagers of the foundation. In this event, we help them become aware of the great potential they have to be successful. We motivate them so that they can see all the positive aspects that they have in their various personalities; and we invite them to think about the need to take charge of their own lives. Our purpose is always to help them develop all the necessary physical, intellectual and spiritual tools to overcome all the obstacles they will have to face at each stage of life.
So far this year, we have received the support of more than 20 volunteers who, on their own initiative, have brought various recreational activities, sports, and educational outings to the foundation for the benefit of the children we serve. It is truly wonderful to receive all the solidarity and affection from so many people who freely and spontaneously break away from their daily routines to provide moments of joy and happiness.
In our community, we are committed to protecting children and adolescents. Guided by the motto: “We say NO to the commercial sexual exploitation of children and adolescents,” every member of the Poder Joven foundation marched through the city center to raise awareness about the urgent need to safeguard childhood and eradicate abuse and exploitation once and for all.
During the month of May we held a workshop for teenagers called “Visualizing our future.” The objective of this activity was to help the children understand the importance of setting relevant goals in life, and then create a plan of specific actions/decisions they must carry out daily towards that goal. Furthermore, we invited the kids to become aware of unhelpful habits that could divert them from their plans.