The Foundation "Dreams of the Future" is working to ensure that the basic needs of vulnerable children are met and to increase the children´s possibilities to have an active participation in society, through promoting children´s right and well-being and by giving special attention to children in cases of extreme poverty, forced displacement, social exclusion and domestic violence.
The foundation is located in the community of Lisboa, in the outskirts of Bogota, an area mainly inhabited by internally displaced persons, vulerable families and single mothers. The women in the community are obliged to work in order to provide for their families and lack of access to affordable day care results in children being left alone for up to eight hours a day, without supervision or food while their mothers are working. Other children are under the supervision of older siblings during the day, depriving the older children of the right to elementary education.
To adress the gap in day care and protect the smallest children, the foundation is therefore providing care and supervision for 50 children, five days a week, from 7 am – 4 pm during academic year. The day care provides 3 healthy meals for the children every day and ensures access to educational and creative activities during the day.
The foundation moreover works actively to promote a good environment inside the family, taking into account the importance of working at all levels to promote well-being of the child. The programs established to empower families in the community includes a weekly workshop for mothers and children under the age of 3 focusing on stimuli and learning methods for younger children, workshops on preventing abuse and violence, and a saving and microcredit group for women, facilitating economic security through a saving fund and opportunities for microloans and training for women wishing to start or expand small businesses.
Foto: Camilo Aldana
