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Before & After
A rebuilt school gives educational opportunities to more than 900 displaced children
Rebuilding Colombia’s Schools
Chocó is a predominantly poor Afro-Colombian state in Colombia. Its capital city, Quibdo, is home to thousands of families displaced by the conflict that has plagued Colombia for decades and uprooted three million people nationwide. The situation tends to hurt children the most, who make up more than 40 percent of the displaced population. Not only do they experience the immediate psychological trauma of violence and being displaced, but the lack of social services — especially education — harms their long-term physical and social development.
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Photo: USAID
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BEFORE - El Resposo school in Chocó provided primary education to more than 200 children in four classrooms. The community’s continued efforts to raise money for more space were unsuccessful, and the plywood structure soon proved inadequate for the growing number of children in Chocó. Kindergarten and fifth grade were dropped from the curriculum. The overcrowded classrooms did not have enough desks, books or basic supplies. The school had no bathrooms, and the only recreational facility was a dirt road.
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Photo: USAID
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AFTER - USAID supported a complete renovation of El Resposo, which is now the pride of Chocó. It has eight classrooms, a completely furnished library, a computer room, an area for sports and recreation, a cafeteria and bathroom facilities. El Resposo now schools 600 primary school children and 158 high schoolers. The new school also offers a weekend tutoring program for 173 high schoolers, and several adults participate in an evening adult education and literacy program.
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