This is Padre Gabriel Mejia, Catholic priest and founder of Hogares Claret in Colombia. He has established over 30 centers for rehabilitation of youth offenders, homeless, guerilla army escapees, and adolescents or adults with drug problems. He has taken a largely ignored and desperate level of society and created a rehabilitation program that is both therapeutic and educational. His rehabilitation success has earned him the Queen Sofia Prize of Spain and the position of Vice-President of the World Conference of Therapeutic communities.
The adolescent facility in Sasaima houses 62 boys and needs a number of things. The Casa Claret in Bogota is for 400 adults and just opened; it needs much support. To see first-hand the accomplishments at these facilities would open the hardest heart - the faces of the people as they re-learn dignity and self-sufficiency are unforgettable. The support from municipal governments do not match the growing needs of increasing numbers of people, some of the facilities are underutilized due to lack of funding. Support in the form of money and/or equipment will have a huge impact per dollar spent.
Year 2007 NEWS: In Medellin, Padre Gabriel has done amazing things over the years. Now he is working with the city administrators and two schools to transform the suburb of Estrella with yoga, Transcendental Meditation, good diet and excercise for the students and teachers. The students, as they graduate from high school, need to find jobs. Projects are underway to help them and to coninue this activity.
In the United States, our affiliate and inspiration is Moving Beyond Productions, whose mission is to fund, nurture and use performing arts to bring about a cross-cultural understanding with Latinamerican activities, focusing on Colombia. Their activities include:
- Presenting the colorful cultural manifestations of Colombia: dance, theater, music, multimedia, visual arts and gastronomy and is presently in its sixth edition.
- Management, fundraising and artistic direction of the Colombian Ethnic Dance Ensemble. This group has performed in more than 200 events during its five years of existence and has given Colombia a powerful cultural voice within and beyond the San Francisco Bay Area. Its cast consists of professional and semi-professional dancers and students.
- Arts education programs in schools and other learning institutions. Partly in collaboration with other organizations, we provide dance and theater residencies and workshops in digital video technology and production.
Since June 1998 they are a nonprofit public benefit corporation organized under the Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation Law for charitable purposes.
Located in the old Colonial section of Downtown Bogotá, Colombia, the Teatro Taller de Colombia (The Theater Workshop) trains acrobats, jugglers, musicians, stiltwalkers and performers. Working on a tiny annual budget from the government, they manage to train two to three groups a year and put on numerous performances. The best among them perform in other Latinamerican countries as well as Europe.
Once a year they invite street people and disadvantaged youths for training in acrobatics and theater arts. This is a great opportunity for young adults who would otherwise be out on the streets. Some have no money to stay in Bogotá so I have seen them sleeping under the bleachers in the circus tent that they train in! Any small donations of money or equipment goes a very long way and is much appreciated.
Thanks for your interest
Inquiries to: Ronald Ringsrud Company Box 1329 Fairfield Iowa 52556