Mocoa (Bogotá), 02/24/2018, Sr. Pastora Marín.- A response of the Congregation where life cries out is slowly coming to pass in Mocoa, capital of the Department of Putumayo, South of Colombia. There, the Province of Bogota has its presence with a mission of holistic evangelization since 1992 in a city devastated on March 31, 2017 by one of the worst natural catastrophes of the century.
The human losses, destruction of homes, and roads left only sorrow. Seventeen barrios were tried by the tragedy, five of which disappeared almost in their totality. The number of victims among the dead, disappeared or not accounted for by the government is beyond a thousand.At such time of emergency, the sisters were present in support and solidarity. With the donations from the sisters and the laity from around the world we have given ourselves to the task of accompanying individual persons and families of Mocoa, to restart something of what was lost, through life-giving projects, family businesses which have given back hope and the desire to live and to believe that in spite of the destruction and the suffering, not all had been lost.
Continuing the support and solidarity
The Community of Sisters in Mocoa has received requests from the affected family’s needs. With the support of the Sisters from Bogota and the advice of Father Teódulo Quintero, Claretian Priest, whose experience in leading the “Foundation New World: Builders of Peace,” these projects were studied according to the needs and propositions, as well as their viability in Mocoa, so as to make out of them possibilities of work and of sustenance for their homes and families. Up to now, nine projects of production have been put into existence and new petitions give inspiration to possibilities of support and solution to the need of housing along with the help of other organizations.Projects in development at this time:
1. Printing: Mario’s Graphic Arts
2. Desserts: “Delicias Sarita”
3. Coast Restaurant
4. Typical Meals Restaurant
5. Construction Tools (two families)
6. Hair Salon
7. Moto-carro for Fast Food
8. Furnaces for Pork and Turkey Preparation
9. Pisciculture “The Jewel”: Has the character of an Association with the participation of four families. This has taken a bit of time due to its complexity and the assistance of suitable personnel.
2. Desserts: “Delicias Sarita”
3. Coast Restaurant
4. Typical Meals Restaurant
5. Construction Tools (two families)
6. Hair Salon
7. Moto-carro for Fast Food
8. Furnaces for Pork and Turkey Preparation
9. Pisciculture “The Jewel”: Has the character of an Association with the participation of four families. This has taken a bit of time due to its complexity and the assistance of suitable personnel.
These are all family projects, some of which are also giving other families the possibility of work.
Psychological and social Accompaniment
Six months after the avalanche, on October 8, 2017, we gathered the families which two Religious Congregations, the Claretian and the Presentation Sisters had accompanied, for a morning of celebration and of remembrance of the dead and the missing with a reading of past events in the light of faith. Signs, gestures, songs, words and silence brought about the before lived realities, as well as, the new growth and the sense of faith and of communion. This space in time was also a good moment to present projects already in action, as well as the progress and the shades of light and darkness in them.
Empowering and Facilitating
Our goal is to assure that families be enabled and take ownership of their projects, thus avoiding dependency and paternalism. We desire that they may be leaders and “owners” and that they may look at the future with optimism and hope. To this purpose and following the reality and the needs facing the members of these projects, we wanted to arrive at a new stage to be reached: the training stage. There was a training gathering on January 30th, 31st and February 1st, 2018. This training had as objective to kick-off the process and the projects. The topics were: Enterprises, financial and accounting information. The course was given by an accountant from Mocoa. Further training will be offered twice a month on topics proposed by the group members of the projects in development, as well as of projects newly proposed. The following sessions and topics are being planned:
a) Spiritual Dimensión In March
b) Attention to the client In May
c) Industries In July
d) Accounting and Prices In September
e) Goods In November
b) Attention to the client In May
c) Industries In July
d) Accounting and Prices In September
e) Goods In November
Growth and Continuity
Our intention is to accompany, support and strengthen family projects. Financial support has been important, however, creating community is fundamentally important as well as strong family ties and the progressive rebuilding of the social network. New projects are being propositioned which must be studied and analyzed in their feasibility taking into account the experience already acquired. On the basis of a few new requests we also move forward to create a support network with other institutions to study the possibilities to support housing needs.
At this social juncture, we also want to strengthen the presence of the Community in Mocoa so as to be on the side of the poor and of those suffering physically or spiritually. Likewise, our intention is to create during these years, faith communities where the Word of God be the center of their BEING AND DOING. In the same way we also want to be witnessing a simple life centered on Jesus who “made Himself poor with the poor”.
Click on the arrows to move