Colombia

According to the United Nations, 1 in 3 women have suffered physical and/or sexual violence; worldwide, women earn only 77 cents for every dollar earned by men doing the same work; two-thirds of countries in the developing world have achieved gender parity in primary education.

La Guajira is a semi-arid region surrounded by a diversity of reliefs; mountains, dunes, savannahs and desert.  Thirst in La Guajira is not a new issue, it is an ancient situation like Wayuu itself, which since time immemorial has adapted to its habitat. 

Mercedes is an old Wayuu woman who lives in jalaala, half a guajira, where heat and sun prevail in a desert of white stones. 

Mayapo, the homeland of the Wayuu tribe. Inhabited by indigenous people who follow matriarchal traditions.

Nowadays, their whole economy is based on tourism. Their department is full of colors, which is mirrored in their beautiful craftsmanship. However, the reality of this region and the environment shows another one of their issues with even more damage: litter.

Selfishness is affecting the foundations of our Wayúu community. And that worries us.

The Wayúu have always practiced Kamaneewa with all the other clans. And they do it as a way of maintaining social and spiritual balance among their families. For this is how the Wayúu have done it since the Pülasü time, when mythological characters walked the earth and lived among the Wayúu.

The Manaure Salt Mine is located in the north of Colombia, specifically in the middle zone of La Guajira.

It is an open-air strip-mining operation, formed by the sea, the sun and the strong winds in the area. From 1940 to 1991 it experienced a production boom, directly impacting hundreds of families.

The morning sunset was looming, like every day I went out hunting to bring food home. My wife does the housework and takes care of the children. I walked several kilometers to catch an animal and back, a quick task thanks to my experience. My eldest son was old enough to teach him the different hunting techniques.

The Sky-Blue Foundation is a space where children from Ciudad Bolivar gather for recreational activities. Under the leadership of Patty, the foundation's coordinator, various artistic and educational activities took place there before the pandemic.

Having a classroom for teaching a mother tongue is the dream of every teacher of an indigenous language in the world, with an adequate and equipped space for this purpose, students would feel comfortable and motivated to learn.

Palenstu is a beautiful place inhabited by the Epinayu clan. It is located at kilometer 55 on the Maicao-Riohaca highway. There lives a girl with light eyes and black hair. She is a humble girl who lived with her mother, a woman who dreams of seeing her daughter grow up.

Can meditation and Mindfulness help people in prisons?

My name is Monica Hurtado. I was born in Manizales, in the west-central part of Colombia.