Colombia is a land of contrasts: On the one hand the country achieved a high level of education in the past, and has a democratic foundation. On the other hand, the country is plagued with drug crimes, corruption and armed conflicts. KOLPING INTERNATIONAL tries in various ways to counteract the problems locally.
Kolping in Colombia
The National Association in Colombia was founded on 24 September 1985 and has 369 members. They organize themselves in 19 Kolping Families which mainly provide support in the areas of education, social aid and promotion of small business.
Well balanced meals – happy children
80 percent of the members are small entrepreneurs, most of them women. Many Kolping members were displaced from rural areas during the civil war and fled to the cities. One of the association’s focal points is integration into the labour market and the further training and promotion of women. There is a great need for further training.
Twelve sewers work in the Kolping Family “Retorno Rural” (Return to the country). The women founded their tailoring company 25 years ago to create jobs and income and offer people a perspective in rural areas. They produce work clothes for a major client (photo).
The Kolping community centre in Usme, on the outskirts of Bogotá, has been converted into a social meeting place offering low-threshold services for the local population, such as homework help, dance classes and computer courses. Many Kolping members who make a living from their craft live in the area.
In Líbano / Tolima, the members of the Kolping Family “Askold” are committed to the social and economic integration of people with disabilities. Here, as in Usme / Bogotá, Kolping Colombia helps small entrepreneurs to create economically sustainable small businesses by offering them training in business management and finance as well as initial support.
