It has been almost one month since I arrived from my trip to Colombia and I previously announced the possibility of directing a future project in Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, or Guatemala and I have made my final decision: El Talon, Colombia. There are many reasons why I chose El Talon again.
Security: First of all, I have the best intentions with the residents of anywhere I decide to donate. However, my security is very important and I do not want to put that at risk. Wherever I go, including El Talon, there always has to be tight security. People must remember that I am barely eighteen years old and I am responsible for organizing any project and during the planning period, security must be included. Since I am dealing with a delicate town, it must be treated cautiously. If I go to a town that I have never been to, it will be very difficult for me to begin the process of getting to know and investigate the town. El Talon's residents were very well behaved and cooperated well during my campaign; the census I conducted and the distribution event was a total success because of their behavior. I believe that in terms of security, I am not ready to go to another town.
Transportation: El Talon is conveniently located near the home where I stay in when I travel to Colombia. It takes literally 15 minutes to get to El Talon and during my campaign, I had to go there many times. It is very difficult for me to go to a town far from the home where I stay in because the lack of transportation, money (the money used for the campaign is personal), and distance. For example, if I do a project in a town near Maracaibo, Venezuela, where will I get the constant transportation from Maracaibo to the town?
Support: The only place I feel I have family support in Colombia is in Cartagena. Without my family in the area, it would have been somewhat difficult to connect with the local police, newspapers, local organizations, and many more factors. They helped me with the packing, the storage, the connections, the transportation, everything. I do have family in a beautiful area of Colombia called Valle del Cauca, but the only direct family member that supports me there is one aunt. A lot of support is needed in order for me to succeed. I believe that in the future, I wont need this support since I will be better prepared for all the factors mentioned above.
Money: It's pretty obvious that my major issue is the lack of funds. Since I am still not a nonprofit organization, legally I cannot receive any money from anyone. Every project I direct has to be funded with my money. How do I do that? I work with my parents and with the money I earn, I pay for the expenses. During my campaign, I ran out of funds and my parents paid for the rest. Putting Venezuela as an example again, it would be very hard for me to pay for everything mentioned above with my own money. As I gain more experience and as Beyond the Wall continues to grow, the possibility of me going to another country will increase.
Experience: I have many plans for El Talon. During my speech at my distribution event, I mentioned that it was a first step for a long road ahead of me. I not only want to donate clothes, I want to make a permanent difference. I believe that El Talon has serious infrastructure issues that need to be addressed as soon as possible. However, clothes is still important and I plan to continue donating. Once I feel like I have enough experience, I will direct a project in another region. If I gain experience in El Talon, it will prepare me for a successful project outside Colombia.
I don't only think about El Talon: Many people, including some unfriendly family members, think that I only want to help El Talon and the Carribean coast of Colombia. Those that know me well know that that is completely FALSE! I am aware that Bolivia is one of the poorest countries in South America, all of Colombia (including Valle del Cauca) has poverty, the United States has homelessness, eastern Europe has high poverty rates, etc. My biggest wish is to be able to help the whole world, but we all begin somewhere and El Talon is my beginning and future. I have the necessary support (both family wise and financially), experience, and connections to direct a successful project.
Finally, a break: The month of August was a busy one and I even had to travel to my hometown Los Angeles shortly after I arrived from Colombia. My grandmother (Abuela Ceci), is not doing well and I went to see her with my mother. I also began college this week. I will slow down with my campaign until January 2010 so I can get used to my new life as a college student, settle down, and visit my grandmother frequently. However, I do plan to send about 20-30 boxes of clothes to Colombia and it will be distributed by a family member under the Beyond the Wall name. If you would like to donate, please send an email to beyondthewallcolombia@yahoo.com. All donations will be distributed in December for the holidays.
PS: I have not forgotten about the video; it will be posted soon.
El Talon is the future of the Beyond the Wall Campaign
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