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).