At the beginning of August 2022, Junieth went to Corporación Imagina, an organization in one of the most prestigious coffee growing areas of Colombia, due to its location in Armenia at more than 1,400 meters above sea level. A small paradise that at first glance does not reveal the situation of street adolescents and youth at risk.

The first day was a wonderful opportunity to get to know the participants, the organization, its impact, its work model and the dreams they hold to continue offering educational opportunities to children hidden in the old independent suburbs of Armenia. Imagina is committed to transformation, change and the development of its community and does so through after school programs that begin with a 30 minute reading session upon entering the organization's facilities.  The children can choose the book they like the most to let their imagination fly.

After reading, they can then choose to receive academic support or to enjoy classes in English, sports, music, theater, baking or environmental education. They can also opt to be listened to by a psychologist or receive attention from a social worker.

During the week of exploration Junieth visited the streets of the Vieja Libertad neighborhood, where many of the workshop participants were born and raised and are now students on artistic, administrative, social or business career courses. In the neighborhood you don't see children playing freely in the streets, but rather they seem to be trapped in their two-story houses shared with other families and built of asterilla, small lengths of bamboo.

Imagina dreams of Colombians having equal opportunities for education as well as access to higher education. As the week went on, other places of influence were identified for the mobile school to serve children and adolescents in three neighborhoods stigmatized by poverty and drug use. It will be a tool to connect with out-of-school children to show them other opportunities through play and raise their self esteem o let them choose what do they want in life. The mobile school has already been used and tested in the Colombian streets for many years, but not in Armenia.  Now there is a high possibility that Imagina will become a partner of the mobile school network in South America. We will see how the story continues... Stay tuned through our social networks and website.

More info: https://corporacionimagina.org/