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.

In our efforts to offer meaningful activities to the children, we created an alliance with one of the main public libraries in the city of Medellín. Through it, children learn science in many fun ways. Children get access to computers, watch documentaries, play games that stimulate their creativity and intelligence. Through activities like this, we make sure that Poder Joven is more attractive to the children than the “the street activities” which they are exposed to such as begging, crime, sexual exploitation, and drug consumption.

As part of our constant search for alternatives to provide well-being to our children, we held a crafts workshop with therapeutic purpose. Through an activity called “the hugging kitten” the children created rag dolls to their liking, using their personal designs and favorite colors; Then, they wrote a story to relate themselves and their rag friends and reflect on their fears and challenges in life. The kittens symbolize those people such as friends, teachers, and family whom they can trust and seek comfort whenever they need it.

We very well know how much the children we serve enjoy field trips so in the month of June we took them to enjoy a wonderful sunny day in a beautiful place located on the outskirts of the city. The very start of the iconic Medellín river. There kids had fun playing and running outdoors. We also took advantage of the space to promote awareness about the need to preserve our environment. In this trip children learned about the importance of caring for water sources and avoiding their pollution. We also reflected on various ways to contribute to the conservation of the fauna and flora of these natural sites.

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 October we took a group of children and adolescents served by the foundation to visit the University of Antioquia (a well-established university in Medellin). Our goal is that kids can understand that after completing their primary and high school studies, they can access higher education, as long as they make an effort to excel academically. At Poder Joven we are convinced that this type of activity allows children to begin visualizing their future and set goals to achieve in the long term.