Projects
Kogi Seywiaka School Solar Panel Initiative
In Progress
We are striving to bring solar-powered electricity to the Kogi Seywiaka community. Together with the solar energy company Hybrytec, we are working to repair a government-installed solar energy system in Seywiaka. The Kogi need your help! To aid this cause, consider donating money to help finance the project. Help us energize the Kogi!
​
Empowering Pedro to pursue his career
In Progress
Pedro wants to be an accountant. He has already graduated from Kogi High School and is pursuing his online education at the same time he works for the Kogi Resguardo in Santa Marta making sure that his community has a voice. To pay for his studies he has mastered the art of bead jewelry. We are supporting him to pursue his dream by selling and promoting his art in the USA.
Color de Esperanza
In Progress
Color de Esperanza is a crafts project by Paola Benrey based in Bogota, which helps empowering single moms to provide for their families by working from home on its beautiful handmade collection.By selling their products we not only support their cause but also raise funds for our current projects, it's a win-win."My life goes between creating and believing that with these small works of art, I will be able to build a better world, by giving women in vulnerable areas the opportunity to be with their children, to feel productive and to be inspired to dream and to grow"
Paola Benrey
@color_de_esperanza_
Empowering Milena to make a difference
In Progress
Kogi women are rarely given the tools to lead a meaningful life. At CFC Youth, we want to change that. We want to give Kogi women a purpose in life outside of cooking and caring for their children. Towards this goal, we are working with Milena, a Kogi woman, to empower her to occupy a leadership and administrative role at the Seywiaka school. While we will help fund her education, we also want MIlena to become self-sufficient, which is why we will support her arts and crafts enterprise.
​
Caring for Seywiaka
In Progress
The Seywiaka school is responsible for educating and caring for around 100 Kogi students. However, the community faces a number of challenges that endanger the students' wellbeing, prime among them a need for vast infrastructural development. As such, our aim is to aid in the general improvement of living conditions in Seywiaka. Whether it be providing medicinal equipment or school supplies, we are working to devise a development plan for Seywiaka.
​
Caring for Juan Gil
Completed 2020
In the midst of the global pandemic crisis, tragedy struck the indigenous tribe Kogi in the Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta. In August 2020, the Kogi’s cabildo governor José de los Santos Sauna Limaco passed away due to COVID-19. In a matter of seconds, the territorial and humanistic rights of the Kogi tribe were vulnerable to the Colombian government. The Kogi were in desperate need of a leader. As a response, a young member of the tribe decided to take a stand.
​
Supporting La Sierra Artist Residency
Completed 2022
La Sierra Artist Residency Foundation is a non-profit organization that uses the power of art to empower and impact the lives of those less fortunate in the Sierra Nevada region. One of their projects is the creation and commercialization of a children's book on the Kogi cosmovision (Learn more). CFC Youth is dedicating to supporting this initiative by raising awareness and facilitating fundraising.
Fundraising for Seywiaka Photocopier
Completed 2017-19
Everywhere around the globe, throughout human history, culture has always been passed, generation after generation; in fact, the preservation of our existence (whether it is through spoken word, ancient figures, or written manuscripts) is one of the most unique and vital aspects of humanity. In most indigenous cultures, like the Kogi tribe, these ancient teachings are passed on to younger generations verbally; however, as the wise elders pass away, and as more and more children are induced in the customs of the Western world, their culture may be at risk of fading away. In dire need of support, Seywiaka, a Kogi school in the Sierra, requires a photocopier to generate copies of the sacred books that carry these cultural teachings and pass them on to the students at the school.
Fundraising for Arhuaco Music Center
Completed 2016
Music is a vital part of Colombian culture and a longstanding tradition of our indigenous people. The Arhuaco, one of the four indigenous tribes that live in the Sierra Nevada, have a strong focus on music, which they often use to pass on their stories. In 2016, I led a fundraiser to aid in the construction of a music center for Arhuaco women in the foothills of the Sierra.
​
Fundraising for Seywiaka Arts & Crafts Center
Completed 2016
In a joint effort with the Arhuaco music center fundraiser in 2016, additional funds were raised to facilitate the construction of an arts & crafts center in the Seywiaka community. The Kogi are known for their crafts, especially their sturdy "mochilas" which are an essential part of their lifestyle. The fundraiser was carried out by selling Kogi mochilas and bracelets, and I eventually gathered enough funds to finance the project.
Tutoring for the Juanfe Foundation
Completed 2022
It is not easy being a teenage mother with very limited English skills. We are developing a tutoring program with the young mothers of the Juanfe foundation with the goal of enhancing their English and preparing them for the workforce in their home city of Cartagena, Colombia. If you are interested in the program or would like to join, do not hesitate to reach out.
​
