An Unforgettable Day in Cartagena, Colombia
In March 2016, World of Children Founders Harry and Kay Leibowitz and World of Children supporters are visiting three World of Children Honorees to observe their work first-hand and see how your donations have made a difference in the lives of children. World of Children Celebrity Ambassador Stephanie March joined them for the first two legs of their journey.
Third Stop – Cartagena, Colombia, to learn more about Catalina Escobar’s work empowering teenage mothers and providing medical care for their children
Last week, we shared the work of Catalina Escobar, a social entrepreneur in Cartagena, Colombia whom we honored with our 2015 World of Children Humanitarian Award. And last week we were lucky enough to visit her in Colombia. We were completely blown away by the day we spent meeting the young women and the children at her Juanfe Foundation. We could not be more proud to be supporting such a worthwhile organization and the amazing hero who is leading it forward.
Our day began with a visit to some of the mothers and children who live in the outskirts of Cartagena in some of the worst barrios in the city. We spent time getting to know them and learning more about their lives. It was wonderful to talk to the mothers about their hopes and dreams and learn how Juanfe Foundation is helping them build better lives for their children.
Thanks to our wonderful partner Molten, we were able to spread a few smiles with gifts of soccer balls. We were also able to provide some of the children with clothes, sandals, and school supplies.
Next we visited the daycare program at Juanfe Foundation. Juanfe provides daycare for the infant children of the teenage mothers in their programs so the mothers can attend school and learn vocational skills without having to worry about paying for childcare. The program provides an amazing environment for the children to learn and grow and helps ensure they reach crucial developmental milestones.
We had an opportunity to see the skills training programs Juanfe provides to young mothers – we had lots of fun sampling baked goodies and seeing how the girls practice their cosmetology skills with one another.
It was amazing to see Catalina interact with the girls. It was clear they all trusted and respected her. It’s amazing how one person can touch so many young lives.
Before we left, the girls invited Co-Founders Kay and Harry Leibowitz to join them for a “selfie” to commemorate the day.
