FOREWORD
We would love to see all the children smiling. Some people say this is impossible and that what we do is a waste of time. We don’t believe them. In fact, we are sure that with your help we can do it. We know that there is some suspicion about organisations like ours and sometimes this is justified, but Boca Azul is real, exists and you can verify it in person. Many people have already collaborated in various forms and we invite you to discover how you can help us by visiting the page ‘how to help’. We are sure that you will find a way to do it.
PROGRAMS AN MOTIVATION
The foundation Casa Italia is a civil, socio-cultural, non-profit organisation which was set up to improve the health, nutrition, schooling and general quality of life of children living in really poor conditions on the North-West coast of Colombia. Specifically, in the village of Boquilla in Cartegena. With an emphasis on improving the children’s diet, we administer an additional supplement which provides at least 75% of the recommended calorie and nutritional needs of pre-school and school-age children. These children are not currently assisted by any other institutions or programmes and our aim is to decrease the number of children leaving school by protecting them with our programme. The project, which is called ‘Boca Azul’, consists of the construction of an area with space for playing, recreation, hygienic facilities, kitchen, storage and other indoor structures with tables, chairs and benches where all the children from one to fourteen years old can come together for one or more daily meals. The children, and possibly also their family, will also receive psycho-social assistance from a doctor in order to address problems of health and hygiene, work on the prevention of drug issues, family planning, inter-family relations and the abuse and maltreatment of children. The aim is to involve the parents in the project itself as much as possible.
At the same time, we are trying to carry out training courses in the areas of tourism and restaurant and hotel work - trades which characterise this area (Cartegena). In fact, as this area is a naturally protected oasis, it might also be possible to learn about various other activities such as treatment of the waters, fish-farming and respect for the fauna and flora. We could also teach computing, woodcraft, plumbing, design and clay modelling with the assistance of a local institution who work towards the introduction of productive activity for the young. This would add value to the ethnic element of the local culture, with the creation of the musical groups and popular folkloric dance by which the first evaluation of the afro-caribbean population appeared to be strongly characterised. |
