Double and historic!

October 21st, 2012

Double was the happiness that was experienced yesterday, October 20th, and historic because it carried out two official events of the Beyond the Wall Campaign.

First of all, the 2012 ColSA/Beyond the Wall Soccer Tournament was completed at the University of Central Florida.  We had a great turnout, with over 85 players registered. The winning team of the tickets to an Orlando City Soccer game was "Reality Check," the food was provided by Vittorio's Brazilian Restaurant, and DJ Stewart Vargas-Sosa was present to play great music. The goal of collecting the necessary funds to pay for the shipping of the donations to Colombia was met thanks to this tournament!  El Talon will have a great Christmas!

While soccer was being played in Orlando, there was a dental hygiene event in El Talon. This event was conducted by Teofilo Del Rio, a tenth semester student of the Rafael Núñez University in Cartagena de Indias, Bolivar. The children had the opportunity to listen to Teofilo while he gave them a lesson on the importance of well-maintained teeth. There was a competition where children were divided into groups and answered questions related to the topic. We also gave them the chance to show us the proper way to brush teeth.  The event was perfect!

I want to thank ColSA-UCF for the excellent tournament. To be honest, I am very demanding and strict when it comes to events related to Beyond the Wall, and I appreciate their patience as well as their understanding of being as professional as possible while planning the event in order to see better results. ColSA-UCF and Beyond the Wall make a very good team!  Their help will never be forgotten and this is clear evidence that the partnership is more than successful!

I really appreciate Teofilo Del Rio's work, as it completed a task never done so by Beyond the Wall.   He had the right tactics for the kids to understand everything related to dental health. Teofilo also has experience working with this organization and he has supported it since its beginnings. Thank you for everything!

I invite you to follow me on Facebook (Beyond the Wall Campaign-Colombia) and through Twitter (@BeyondTheWallCO).

Preparation for the Soccer Tournament

October 16th, 2012

Photo taken by Lourdes Nunez of the article that came out about the campaign and that promotes the soccer tournament. Thanks to Daniela Torres of El Sentinel!

The 2012 ColSA/Beyond the Wall Soccer Tournament is around the corner!  We have been preparing for this event since late August, when the ColSA/Beyond the Wall alliance was made official for the 2012-2013 school year at the University of Central Florida (UCF).

• The winning team will get tickets to an Orlando City Soccer soccer game for the upcoming season.
• Our official DJ will be Stewart Vargas-Sosa, who supported us during the soccer tournament last year.
• Vittorio's Brazilian Restaurant will provide us with the food.
• The registration will be completed online; players can visit www.TinyURL.com/ColSASoccer to officially sign up.  
• The promotion of the event includes the participation of Diana Raquel Cordero of Orlando's Salsa 98.1 FM, journalist Daniela Torres of El Sentinel, and the support of Keith Landry of FOX 35 Orlando.  Other than the media, the event will also be promoted at the main campus of the University of Central Florida.

Photo taken by Nicolas Gonzalez, President of ColSA-UCF, while he prepared the Orlando City Soccer poster.

I'd like to thank ColSA-UCF for the unconditional support during the preparation of this important event. The purpose is to collect funds to pay for shipping of the donations to Colombia. I also want to thank all who have supported this event, such as Daniela Torres, Diana Raquel Cordero, Keith Landry, Kay Rawlins of Orlando City Soccer, Stewart Vargas-Sosa, Vittorio's, and of course, all those that will play this Saturday!

I invite you to follow me on Facebook (Beyond the Wall Campaign-Colombia) and through Twitter (@BeyondTheWallCO).

Second activity: October 15th

October 15th, 2012

El Talon was visited for the second time this year in order to complete some activities with the children. These activities included playing "Twister," doing some exercises, speaking with the children, and coloring. The purpose of this visit was to get to know the children a little better and to obviously provide a special day for them. Art was mixed with healthy activities that they can do during any free time that they have. The children realized that people can have fun without having to resort to bad habits such as alcohol and drugs.

Something that particularly caught my attention was when I was speaking to them. Over a period of about 45 minutes, we spoke about interesting topics, such as racism and their plans for the future; I noticed that they truly have very good communication skills when it comes to maintaining a conversation. A particular child named Daniel told me about the racism that exists in Cartagena; he said that racism against afro-Colombians is very obvious to the public eye and that "whites treat them very badly." He mentioned that he did not agree with the mistreatment of afro-Colombians and that he believed that everyone deserved to be respected. Other children told me about the careers that grabbed their attention; some want to be veterinarians, others want to engage in the military life, a girl named Maye wants to be a doctor, and there are many who like social communication.

To be honest, I noticed that the children of El Talon have many aspirations and I know that they want to prosper. The task of one as an adult is to try to maintain that enthusiasm among young people so they can succeed in the future and so they can also provide their parents with the necessary support. I would like to implement the strategy that my parents have used with my sister and me: require us to go to school, remind us not to be conformists, and repeatedly speak to us of success to keep us motivated about life. My sister and I have grown up in an environment that is exemplary in the aspect that my parents instilled us with a lot of motivation in all aspects, especially with our educational and career aspirations, which I think is excellent and a very good method to use in El Talon. Poverty is not something that is solved overnight, it is a long process because you have to change and maintain a positive and healthy mindset among a whole generation. The goal of Beyond the Wall is to provide positive support, not necessarily with clothes, toys, and shoes each time I visit, but with chats to make the new generation think and reflect on their lives and the future that awaits them...as my parents did (and still do) with my sister and me.

I invite you to follow me on Facebook (Beyond the Wall Campaign-Colombia) and through Twitter (@BeyondTheWallCO).

First activity: October 3rd

October 3rd, 2012

The first visit to El Talon was held on Wednesday, October 3, 2012.  The visit was mainly a greeting to the town after several months without visiting. We had the opportunity to play with the children, talk to them, and inform everyone of the events that will be completed in the coming weeks. In reality, it was a very satisfactory visit because as always, El Talon always welcomes us very well!

I invite you to follow me on Facebook (Beyond the Wall Campaign-Colombia) and through Twitter (@BeyondTheWallCO).

Successful trip to Colombia!

October 2nd, 2012

My trip to Colombia was a success, as the title of this update clearly states. I'm currently preparing everything to start working in El Talon for the next two months.

Contact Information:

During my stay in Colombia, there will be several ways to contact me.

• BeyondTheWallColombia@yahoo.com- The organization's official e-mail is checked several times during the day, so please feel confident to e-mail me and I'll be more than happy to respond.
• Facebook (Beyond the Wall Campaign-Colombia)-  We all know that the most popular social network is Facebook, and that's where most people get in touch with me. Just send me a message or post any questions or comments on the campaign's timeline and I will respond as soon as possible.
• Twitter (@BeyondTheWallCO)-  I also have a Twitter account where you can contact me.
• Phone-  During my stay in Colombia, my phone number in the U.S. (407-325-5885) will be disconnected. However, I have a system called "MagicJack," and I have the right to have an Orlando-based phone number while I am in this country. The number is (407)374-7448. People in the U.S. may call me anytime and there will be no additional charge.

I invite you to follow me on Facebook (Beyond the Wall Campaign-Colombia) and through Twitter (@BeyondTheWallCO).

Official Trip

September 27th, 2012

I'll begin working on the first social project directly in El Talon, Colombia on October 3rd, 2012. I will travel to Cartagena de Indias on October 1st, 2012, and will not return to Orlando until December 10th, 2012. During the trip, I'll be working very much in El Talon with the support of the Beyond the Wall followers in Turbaco and Cartagena, Bolivar.

Although I won't be in the United States during this time period, I will be completely updated and working with all of the events of the season in Orlando, especially the 2012 ColSA/Beyond the Wall Soccer Tournament.  Within the next few days, I'll be posting my phone number while in Colombia; the phone will be a U.S. number, so there will be no problem if you would like to contact me. Unfortunately, my number (407-325-5885) will not be connected during my trip to Colombia.

I'll keep everyone informed!

I invite you to follow me on Facebook (Beyond the Wall Campaign-Colombia) and through Twitter (@BeyondTheWallCO).

ALPFA-UCF

September 20th, 2012

It's a pleasure to announce that there is growing support with Beyond the Wall. This time, ALPFA-UCF (Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting at the University of Central Florida), a student organization at the University of Central Florida sponsored by ALPFA, which promotes Latino student professionals with emphasis in finance and accounting, has shown interest in the campaign. Sabina Acosta, Director of Marketing for ALPFA-UCF, contacted me and formalized an official presentation of Beyond the Wall to the members of ALPFA-UCF last Tuesday, September 18th, 2012.  Fortunately, the meeting was successful and, of course, more followers joined the campaign.

I want to thank the ALPFA-UCF organization, Sabina Acosta for maintaining interest with Beyond the Wall, and I'd like to take this opportunity to invite students of the University of Central Florida to take a moment to learn about this organization by visiting their page on Facebook (ALPFA at UCF).

Thank you very much for the support!

I invite you to follow me on Facebook (Beyond the Wall Campaign-Colombia) and through Twitter (@BeyondTheWallCO).

2012 ColSA/Beyond the Wall Soccer Tournament

September 19th, 2012

The first event that is being organized by the 2012 ColSA/Beyond the Wall alliance is a soccer tournament that will be held on October 20th at the University of Central Florida. The requirements are:

• Saturday, October 20th at 12 PM.
• 7V7
• Two women will be playing at all times.
• 10 players maximum per team.
• $70 registration fee for a team.
• $10 registration fee for an individual.
• Everyone can participate and you do not have to be a student at the University of Central Florida.
• Minimum of 16 years of age.

All funds will be used to pay for shipping of the donations to Colombia for the next distribution, which will be completed in December of the current year.

For more information, visit the tournament page on Facebook by following this link: 2012 ColSA/Beyond the Wall Soccer Tournament on Facebook. 

To register for the tournament, please visit the following link to officially sign up: Registration for the 2012 ColSA/Beyond the Wall Soccer Tournament.

I invite you to follow me on Facebook (Beyond the Wall Campaign-Colombia) and through Twitter (@BeyondTheWallCO).

ColSA/Beyond the Wall

September 6th, 2012

ColSA /Beyond the Wall was officially presented as an alliance on Thursday, September 6, 2012 at the University of Central Florida. The meeting was very successful; the ColSA board members who will be working with me are:

• Nicolas Alejandro Gonzalez
• Rakel de Campos
• David Castro (no photographed)
• Esthefania Diaz
• Laura Hernandez
• Alanna Sanz
• Favian Torres
• Maria Fernanda de Vera

The alliance will be under the supervision of Mrs. Miscannon, Executive Administrative Assistant at the University of Central Florida and the ColSA-UCF adviser.

As allies, we have the responsibility of working together to ensure an efficient and productive team. I want to thank the ColSA organization for this great opportunity.

I invite you to follow me on Facebook (Beyond the Wall Campaign-Colombia) and through Twitter (@BeyondTheWallCO).

Shipping of Donations

August 28th, 2012

Martinez Cargo Express Corp., a large shipping company in the Orlando area, has been chosen as the official company that will ship the donations that will be distributed in El Talon this December.  Twelve boxes will be sent on Saturday, September 1st, 2012.  Mr. Jose Martinez, owner of Martinez Cargo Express Corp., is committed with Beyond the Wall and has promised to support this cause.  The donations will be picked up by the company and it should take about five weeks for the boxes to arrive.  I'd like to thank Mr. Martinez for the unconditional support!

I invite you to follow me on Facebook (Beyond the Wall Campaign-Colombia) and through Twitter (@BeyondTheWallCO).

Fall 2012 Updates

August 28th, 2012

It's only been three days since the last time that I updated the blog, and it already seems as if I have a lot to inform everyone about.  First of all, I will be traveling to Colombia towards the end of September or the beginning of October and I'll be coming back to the States in December.  During my time in Colombia, I'll be making weekly visits to El Talon.  Those visits will not be considered "events" like the past distributions, but they will be significant.  The visits will consist of concentrating on certain subjects with the children of El Talon; for example, we'll have a day dedicated to music, sports, art, writing, and reading.

There will also be events leading up to the final distribution.  In the end of November, there will be a sexual education workshop in El Talon that the adults of El Talon can participate in.  Furthermore, there is a plan to be able to organize a medical mission with the support of the University of Cartagena, though this is pending confirmation.  Finally, the distribution date set for this year is December 9th at 10 AM.  The past distributions in December were always completed on the 23rd, but due to my schedule with school and a family reunion in Los Angeles, I have to travel back to Orlando on December 11th.

I must mention that I don't think that I have words to describe how grateful I am for all of the support this year.  In March, all of the donations disappeared for over two months and during that time, I desperately tried to collect new ones to take to El Talon, and luckily, by May 30th, I had enough donations to distribute in El Talon.  Later during the first week of June, the lost and original donations suddenly appeared, leaving me with double the amount of donations.  This year could have been the worst in Beyond the Wall's short history, but that was something that the followers and I could not allow...and I am now preparing my trip to Colombia.  Thanks to everyone for that unconditional support.

I invite you to follow me on Facebook (Beyond the Wall Campaign-Colombia) and through Twitter (@BeyondTheWallCO).

Beyond the Wall and ColSA

August 25th, 2012

It's a pleasure to announce that Beyond the Wall has formalized a partnership with the ColSA organization at the University of Central Florida.  The confirmation of this update comes after a private meeting with the ColSA board of directors that was held on Saturday, August 25, 2012.  I have had the opportunity to work with this organization in the past, and it was very successful, so I am confident that everything will be outstanding.

• What will change? The benefit of working as an alliance is that we will now be able to prepare events that benefit Beyond the Wall. Funds may also be collected on behalf of ColSA.

• How long will the partnership last? The alliance is effective during the 2012-2013 school year at the University of Central Florida.
• What events will be organized?  The events are currently being prepared.  A preview includes a soccer tournament that will take place in October of this year.

• What is ColSA?  ColSA is a student organization that promotes Colombian culture throughout the University of Central Florida (there are approximately 59,000 students) and the Orlando community. Students are not only Colombians; there are people that come from other countries such as India and Brazil.  Due to the fact that we are in a country where the majority of the population speaks English, all public presentations are done in that language.

Over the days, I will be letting everyone know about the events that are being prepared.  Meanwhile, I want to thank all of the members of the ColSA board of directors for this opportunity that will benefit El Talon!

I invite you to follow me on Facebook (Beyond the Wall Campaign-Colombia) and through Twitter (@BeyondTheWallCO).

The Importance of Donating

August 25th, 2012

Take a minute to read about the importance of donating clothing to the people of El Talon: clothing and shoes in Cartagena and its surrounding areas are much more expensive than in other regions of the country because Cartagena is a huge tourist destination. As we all know, everything that has to do with tourism is very expensive. For example, when we go to Disney World in Orlando, everything is overpriced because it's where all the tourists go. It's similar in Cartagena; everything from food, clothing, shoes, transportation, and homes are overpriced. What some people do is that they go to Medellin, where everything is usually much cheaper than Cartagena, and they buy a lot of clothing to bring back to Cartagena to sell to those that can't afford it. This business is popular during Christmas, which is usually when people shop for clothing. The prices for the clothes can vary, but an example is this: four shirts and two jeans from brands that are not too recognized can cost about 600-700 thousand pesos ($300-350 USD); the reason why people pay this is because the vendors give them the option of paying it off throughout the year. 

People usually wear the clothes for about three to four years, and then they buy more clothing using the same method. However, many people cannot afford to do this because of a lack of funds; they don't have enough for food, utilities, school (you cannot just "check-out" books at the school library, you must purchase them), uniforms, rent, etc...so what makes you think that they'll spend their little amount of money on clothing when they barely have enough to eat? I believe that Beyond the Wall does a good deed because we provide them with clothing that really helps them out; some of them can go to job interviews with what they receive, others receive shoes so they won't have to walk around the contaminated mud (for those that have been there know that this is a huge problem), children receive toys that their parents may never be able to afford, and some simply appreciate the needed extra clothing. Yes, there are plans of expanding into other areas of social work; for example, this year we want to implement sexual education into the end of the year's distribution event. In the future, we would also want to eventually partner up with other organizations that will help them with the infrastructure of their homes, we'd like to help them find some work using their own resources, but everything takes time and patience.

Before helping out a community, whether it's in Colombia, Brazil, Angola, Romania, or even here in the United States, one must first realize what the needs are, because EVERY COMMUNITY IS DIFFERENT, even in Colombia. The needs in El Talon are completely different than the needs in the slums of Medellin, and the needs there are completely different than those living in poverty in Cartago, Valle. It's easy for us in the United States, in the comfort of our home, to quickly find a solution for everything...but in reality, everything is much more complex and investigations/studies must be done 

before reaching a favorable solution. All in all, El Talon will always receive Beyond the Wall's help.

I invite you to follow me on Facebook (Beyond the Wall Campaign-Colombia) and through Twitter (@BeyondTheWallCO).

Summer 2012

August 25th, 2012

The Fall season is about to begin and Beyond the Wall is going forward with everything that's planned! The summer has been very productive for the campaign since there have been several positive changes and I've been concentrating on the necessary preparations in order to complete the planned projects in Colombia.

The donations will be distributed in El Talon at the end of the year and we are already packed. It's been a busy season because we've collected and packed the donations, but there is also a sense of satisfaction in knowing that the work was completed in an exceptional way.  The support of all the followers has been great; people have taken donations to the office where I work, I receive calls and messages every day to be informed about receiving more donations, I've received donations all the way from Chicago, etc.  It's obviously great to receive all this support, but this requires a lot of dedication on my part.  Even the representative of Colombia in Miss Universe 2010 and faithful follower of the campaign, Natalia Navarro Galvis, collected seven boxes of clothes, shoes, and toys with her family in Miami.  It's unbelievable that public figures such as Miss Colombia are also interested in El Talon's success!  Finally, the support of everyone during the year, not just the summer, has been very good.

As I mentioned in a recent post, a goal that I had was to become a nonprofit organization. After receiving the professional guidance that I needed, I decided to change my mind.  For various reasons, I should not become a nonprofit organization...for now.  The great advice that I received will be published in another post, but I can guarantee that I have prepared something for the rest of the year that everyone will enjoy.

All in all, I want to thank all the followers of Beyond the Wall for the unconditional support. I honestly don't know what I'd do without my family here in the United States and Colombia, the guidance of my professional counselors, and of course, all the people who take the time and effort to help all of the residents of El Talon.  Success is on its way!

I invite you to follow me on Facebook (Beyond the Wall Campaign-Colombia) and through Twitter (@BeyondTheWallCO).

2011 Board

July 17th, 2012

Crazy how time flies!  Over a year ago, I figured that an awesome way of receiving help was by forming a board of directors.  Adriane Norman and Juan Esteban Cajigas were chosen to become part of the campaign, and I think that it was an excellent decision.  We have worked together for about a year or so, but unfortunately, we will no longer be able to continue as a board for the Fall 2012 season.  They are now concentrating on other goals and I know that they will succeed wherever they go.  I'd like to thank them for their support and wish them the best of luck with their future endeavors.

I invite you to follow me on Facebook (Beyond the Wall Campaign-Colombia) and through Twitter (@BeyondTheWallCO).

Nonprofit Organization

June 19, 2012

I've been wanting to announce this for quite some time now, but the process to become a nonprofit organization will begin this week.  Beyond the Wall becoming a nonprofit means that the United States will legally recognize me as a charity.  I will be able to receive financial help from everyone willing to donate, I'll receive more support for larger projects, etc.  As a nonprofit, I will be able to achieve much more than anyone can imagine!  

I invite you to follow me on Facebook (Beyond the Wall Campaign-Colombia) and through Twitter (@BeyondTheWallCO).

Plans for the second half of 2012

June 15, 2012

Now that everyone is updated with Beyond the Wall, I am going to announce what the plans are for the year.

Since I began my campaign when I was 17 years old, I've learned two very important lessons: to not plan too much and to go one step at a time.  I have such a big passion for Colombia, that I always want to do everything all at once, but now that I am older (21) and have experience working on this, I'm definitely going to plan, but doing things step by step.  I've learned to be a bit more patient, even though I'm still working on it.  With that in mind, the following will be done in 2012:

• The donations have been recovered.  As mentioned in the previous post, even if I didn't recover the "stolen" donations, I still would've had enough for just one distribution in El Talon.  Now that I have double the amount of donations, I'm guaranteeing many more distributions in the coming years...even though I'll never stop receiving donations.
• Storage is very important; now that I don't have to worry so much about donations filling up in my home, I feel much more relieved and it's good to know that everything is organized.
• The donations will be sent to Colombia by ship sometime between August and September.
• The next most important step, without a doubt, is to become a nonprofit organization.  I will not do anything else until Beyond the Wall is recognized as a nonprofit because it opens many doors for the campaign..this is true expansion!
• After the nonprofit process is complete, I'd like to plan on getting a group of students in Colombia together to offer classes on sexual education in El Talon.  Education to me is very important, and this quote expresses it all: "Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for the rest of his life." -Chinese proverb
• Health is also important, so I'd like to have another medical mission completed in December.

I wanted to have a distribution in July, but due to the whole issue with the donations being "stolen," it was cancelled and I cannot change them back now due to funding.  Like last year, I also wanted to have a park built in El Talon, but unfortunately, I am hearing rumors about the possibility of El Talon being relocated in the future, so I'm not sure if that is the best idea.  The Beyond the Wall event this year will take place during the first week of December, unlike the last two years (December 23rd).  

I will be updating everyone with this great campaign!  Thanks to everyone for the support!

I invite you to follow me on Facebook (Beyond the Wall Campaign-Colombia) and through Twitter (@BeyondTheWallCO).

First half of 2012

June 15th, 2012


I think that the first half of 2012 has been the most stressful but most rewarding ever since 2009, when I first started to work on Beyond the Wall.  While I was in Colombia working on the 2011 Christmas distribution, my Father had to take all of the donations to a storage unit in east Orlando.  The storage unit was to be paid by me every month, which I did.  The donations that were stored in the unit were the ones that would be used for future distributions.  In March 2012, all of the donations suddenly "disappeared" and were considered stolen.  I asked for footage of recent activity, but the storage company employees informed me that the cameras had been "disabled."  After filing a police report, nobody gave me hopes on recovering the donations.  I was very disappointed with everything, but I realized that I couldn't let this be a reason for me to not continue helping El Talon.

I decided to recover the donations as fast as possible; I began to inform everyone through Facebook and Twitter about the problems that I was going through, and to my surprise, everyone began to help.  I received support from people that I didn't even know, and it went great!  I drove all around central Florida picking up donations from awesome people that simply want to make a difference in El Talon.  I flew to Los Angeles to pick up donations, my family went to Chicago to get some more donations, and all in all, just through Facebook/Twitter, one interview on La Grande 1030 AM with Fernando Negron and El Guajiro, and one video of support from Miss Colombia 2010, I managed to collect and pack all of the donations...in two months!

On June 7th, 2012, I was informed that all of the "stolen" donations appeared!  When I found out, I couldn't believe it and I was excited, but at the same time, I was very puzzled.  According to the storage manager, the donations were "transferred" to another unit and I was shown the empty one back in March; however, they wanted me to pay four months worth of rent!  In the long run, we made a deal and I only paid for one month worth of storage rent, and I was allowed to take the donations.  I know very well that there is more behind this whole situation and that I can perfectly file a lawsuit, but I am not interested in fighting against that storage company; the important thing is that the donations have been recovered.  I then had the difficult task of transferring the recovered donations into a new storage unit with my family, which was difficult because of the heat.  

Throughout this whole mess with the storage company, I've come to the conclusion that things must happen for a reason.  I've learned that I have to "go with the flow" when it comes to my campaign and that I shouldn't stress out as much as I did when the donations were "stolen."  I feel very happy to know that I can count on the community for support and on my family for anything.  I now look at this experience like this:  the donations were taken from me, I worked very hard to recover them, the "stolen donations" appeared, and I now have double the amount of donations for El Talon.  Again, things happen for a reason.  Thank you very much to everyone who supported me when I really needed it!

I invite you to follow me on Facebook (Beyond the Wall Campaign-Colombia) and through Twitter (@BeyondTheWallCO).