In Colombia, more than half a million children between 0 and 5 years of age have been affected by violence. Exposure to these traumatic phenomena during the first years of life has devastating effects on the development of these children and compromises their right to lead a productive and healthy life.
Currently, the country is going through a process of social transformation in which it seeks to create a more peaceful and equitable society, and in this process, the care and protection of thousands of children who have suffered the consequences of violence in their lives in Colombia become a priority issue for many.
Semillas de Apego is a program of psycho-social care at a group level that seeks to protect young children affected by violence and displacement in Colombia. Through direct work with its main caregivers, the program seeks to mitigate the negative consequences generated by exposure to these traumatic events during the early years of childhood.
At Genesis Foundation, we have years of experience in early childhood care in the most vulnerable areas affected by the conflict in Colombia. We have been working for 17 years to improve the quality of education of thousands of children and now we are in charge of implementing the program in Tumaco, an area where we have been present for 6 years, in the 27 Early Childhood Care Centers that exist today in the municipality.
At the end of 2017, the preparation of the program was implemented to ensure a smooth development during 2018 and 2019, reaching 640 mothers or primary caregivers of children between 0 and 5 years of age, and benefiting about 940 children in early childhood who are currently exposed to situations of violence. This program is under the execution of the Genesis Foundation and the University of The Andes, with the support of the Coca-Cola Foundation, the FEMSA Foundation, the Éxito Foundation, and the Primero Lo Primero Alliance (made up of the Mario Santo Domingo Foundation, AeioTu, Pies Descalzos Foundation, Genesis Foundation and Dividendo por Colombia).
Bearing in mind that adversities have devastating effects on the development of children, just as they affect the mental health of parents, putting at risk the building of safe and healthy emotional bonds between them, it is essential to work on strengthening a healthy emotional bond between mothers (or main caregivers) and the child in order to mitigate these effects, promote resilience and ensure the proper development of children, even in the midst of traumatic experiences.
At the moment, the country does not have evidence-based programs that work directly with families that are victims of violence, focused on strengthening healthy bonds as a key tool to reduce the effects on children's development. That is why this experience, in Colombia's historic moment, is an opportunity for many communities that have suffered dramatically the consequences of the conflict.
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