Seincu

Semillero de Integracion Cultural

"Nurturing cultural integration"

In this article, we would like to introduce you to Seincu, a non-profit organization in Colombia that cares for neglected children in the village.

Since August 2020, Felipe, the founder of Seincu, and many children live in our Cabaña Bananatree, where they learn, play, make music, eat and laugh.

Who we are

We are a non-profit organization that carries out recreational, educational, and cultural activities with children of different ages in the Divino Niño neighborhood in Palomino, La Guajira.

Our Objective

To nurture cultural integration, providing children with tools and expanding their perceptions and projections.

Provide various personal development tools that can enhance the talents and skills of each participant.

What we do

Through academic, recreational, and cultural activities, we support the personal development and integration into society of children aged 4 to 12. With the help of volunteers specialized in different areas, we provide school support, nutritional assistance, and cultural activities that stimulate their creativity and help them reach their full potential.

Why we do it

Palomino belongs to a rural area in the department of La Guajira and, despite recent tourism development, has a high rate of multidimensional poverty. This is evident in the lack of access to general education, food, and health insecurity, and the prevalence of domestic violence, both physical and psychological.

The children we work with come from very vulnerable backgrounds, so our volunteer program aims to create a space where participants learn about different tools that will help them in their personal, creative and professional development.

By teaching the children to work in the vegetable garden and cook in a clay oven, we ensure that they receive nutritional supplementation while teaching them a new trade.

Our Achievements

April 2020 - The outbreak of the pandemic prompts us to begin distributing food to families at markets and at the Foundation House with the financial support of the Founder and community assistance of the Founder.
June 2020 - The process of formalization as a foundation begins. Our activities include puppet theater and painting classes, and reading and writing promotion.
July 2021 - We resume volunteering, with a special focus on organic building and permaculture.
August 2021 - With the support of a team of educators, we resume school-based care for children.
September 2021 - A general practitioner joins the team as a volunteer.
November 2021 - The alliance with Empatados is consolidated to provide psychological support to participating children.

How we see our future

Thanks to the recent partnership with Empatados, we have managed to formalize and professionalize our approach. We currently provide a large number of children with a daily lunch in conjunction with various educational and school support activities.

In hopes of expanding our team of volunteers, we currently manage a Workaway profile through which candidate selection is conducted with the support of the Empatados team.