8th Graders are Sending Water to La Guajira

Eighth grade students of the Columbus School managed to surpass the monetary goal that they had established in order to help communities from La Guajira. Their purpose was to raise 50 million Colombian pesos and ended up with 58 after all. With the money and supplements collected, the students will take a social trip to help the Wayu communities.  Students state that from the whole campaing the best part is not only knowing that the money collected is used for the wellfare of many, but also seeing and living the act of helping so many children. 

Throughout the “Todos Somos Guajira” campaing, the school is giving 800 Guajiran locals the posibilitity of education and water. The pre-trip process this year was recognized by many as the best so far in terms of monetary aid. “Its heartbreaking that so many people are fighting for their basic needs in the country. That’s why I think that we as the lucky ones should contribute to the community doing this type of social work , and thus change the lives of many people,” says Simon Sanchez, 9th grade student at TCS.

All About La Guajira 2018

Eighth graders from The Columbus School are going on a social responsibility trip to La Guajira this February 13th. Students, teachers, and directives are traveling to give a helping hand to all of those indigenous communities that are in need. This is the third year in a row that 8th graders are counting with the support of the school to accomplish this enriching  and helpful adventure in which both the Columbus community and the Guajirans are benefited.

This social trip has an environmental focus of reducing the carbon footprint and creating sustainable options for water, which is why the social studies department is working hand by hand with GIN (Global Issues Network).

“The goal of the whole campaign is not only to provide help, but also to conscientize the people from the school and from La Guajira in order for all to make smarter decisions for the environment,” says Elisa Abad, 8th grade student at TCS.

 

Behind the scenes

For one whole year, teachers, parents and students have been working intensely in order to assure an improvement of the education and the basic needs of the people in La Guajira.  “Eighty seven 8th graders are making part of the trip, and we are very proud for all the work they’ve done,” says Bianca Vega, middle school vice principal at TCS. “We’ve been doing cake breaks to raise money, and done walks through all the school in order for people to take a part in the campaign and donate,” Added Rosario Navarro 8th grader.

“La Mona” or Luz Miriam Arango, was the person behind this idea. She created a social responsibility class where students are able to learn and help the community simultaneously.

Students claim that this year will be the “golden one” in terms of helping the community, now that the trips of the past two years were specifically done to learn about their culture and to understand their problems.

“The past years weren’t as efficient because they were not aware about what this people actually needed, but this year we will truly see the results of our hard work and the hard work of all those years behind,” says Maria del Mar Jaramillo, 8th grader.

How can everyone make a part

Something that makes this campaign unique, is that donors can be sure that the money and time spent is really creating an impact and that it will be handed from a personally by the students.

“It is very easy to become a part of the campaign now that one can donate almost anything. In high school i’ve been selling cookies and gummies to help, ” says Felipe Naranjo, 11th grade philosophy teacher at TCS.

“The journey to La Guajira is a unique experience that allowed us to develop a sense of understandingness towards different situations that make us grow as individuals. It really is an unforgettable trip that becomes very personal when seeing the impact of our school in this Colombian region, “ says Simon Sanchez.