FOC is pleased to announce that we awarded seven grants, totaling $10,250, to inspiring Colombian community-based groups.

A BIG thank you to FOC’s Grantmaking Team for all of their hard work:
– Brianna Castro (CII-4)
– Danny Butterfoss (PC Response 2014-2015)
– Christina Kuntz (CII-3)

And congratulations to our grant competition winners!

FOC’s Grantmaking Team held a Welcome Call with the seven winning organizations. Learn more about each winner and their projects below.

Additional photos along with further detailed descriptions of each project will be included in future social media posts and in FOC’s 2021 Annual Report, which will be published in December.

2021 FOC Small Grant Project Winners

Camp GLOW
Costa Caribe
$1,520 USD
Camp GLOW will use FOC grant funds to continue their young women’s empowerment programs remotely. Camp GLOW Colombia, originally started by Peace Corps Colombia volunteers in 2014, is now primarily run by Colombian women that previously participated in the camp. This year’s funds will go towards starting a podcast “Radio GLOW” and mailing out a GLOW magazine to approximately 150 current camp participants on the Northern Colombian Coast.

Fundación Koinonia
Cartagena, Bolivar
$1,170 USD
Fundación Koinonia will use FOC grant funds to create a mobile library and fill it with books along with various other reading and writing materials. This traveling library will move between three of the poorest neighborhoods in Cartagena where is will offer children aged 7-14 years old the opportunity to improve their reading and writing skills outside of school. This project will also allow the foundation to print and bind a collection of stories written by children in each of the three neighborhoods.

Los Otros Yumbeños 
Yumbo, Valle del Cauca
$1,510 USD
Los Otros Yumbeños is a project that increases environmental awareness and knowledge about local birds and plants in the municipality of Yumbo. FOC funds will support the expansion of this project by funding the creation of an audiovisual micro-documentary about the diverse species of bird in the Yumbo region. The audiovisual documentary will be used as an educational tool to teach students about the local birds and habitat in Yumbo.

Tierra Grata
Costa Caribe
$1,590 USD
Tierra Grata will use FOC grant funds to install ecologically friendly, solar-powered lights in rural communities on the Northern Colombian Coast. By partnering with rural communities without electricity, these installations will provide lighting in the public spaces that communities choose. This public lighting will increases safe, available space for evening activities.

PROEDUPAZ
Suan, Atlantico
$1,440 USD
PROEDUPAZ will use FOC grant funds to provide an initial supply of egg-producing hens, chickenfeed, and other materials to families of children and adults with disabilities, a severely underserved population. PROEDUPAZ will also train all project beneficiaries how to properly care for the chickens and sell their eggs. In addition to providing additional income and food security to 15 families, caring for chickens and selling eggs will develop entrepreneurial skills and build confidence and self esteem among people with disabilities in the community.

Guardabosques de la Sierra
Santa Marta, Magdalena
$1,520 USD

Guardabosques de la Sierra is an association of small cacao producers in Santa Marta, Colombia, formed in 2010 as part of an alternative development initiative to disincentivize illicit crop production. With FOC grant funds the association plans to expand the capacity of its cacao bean dryer and upgrade its storage facility, as well as develop an income-generating tourist experience. The expansion of the dryer alone will increase cacao production by 35%, and the new tourist experience will eventually employ three full-time staff.
Club de Voleibol Jaguares
Polonuevo, Atlántico
$1,500 USD
Club de Voleibol Jaguares will use FOC grant funds to make improvements to one of the town’s recreational spaces and purchase new volleyball equipment. With FOC’s grant funding, this community team will be able to continue practicing volleyball, which they use as a tool to promote healthy lifestyles, personal growth, and inclusion. Creating such a space gives team members a safe and productive ways to spend their free time.

A thank you message from the Club de Voleibol Jaguares, in Polonuevo, Atlántico.