For people who may not have seen it, we have started a social media campaign to call attention to the deplorable state of the school in La Libertad. As part of the campaign, we emailed various government members in the Amazon and Bogota. Here is what we said:
Subject: Greetings from the community school of La Libertad, Amazonas, Colombia. PLEASE HELP US!
The community school of La Libertad, Amazonas, Colombia. It is more important that we improve the school rather than assign blame.
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| The first damage to the roof occurred on September 29, 2022. It has not been repaired. |
Greetings Mr. Petro,
My name is Benjamin Angulo.
I am a volunteer with the USA-based organization Amazon Pueblo. Our mission is to help the students of La
Libertad, Amazonas, Colombia, to improve their educational opportunities. We have been working with the community since
2012.
Our Help
This year, we expect to provide at least 50 small
scholarships to the students of La Libertad and associated families. We are also slowly building a health care center in the community to assist the currently available health services of Leticia
and the department in meeting the health needs of the students and their
families.
Problems with the School
First, as a result of a lack of maintenance and storm
damage, the roofs, ceilings, and wooden structures of the school in La Libertad
are in deplorable conditions. The main
parts of the damage started from a storm that occurred on September 29th,
2022. The damage has continued with
subsequent wind storms. This, combined
with wood rot, has resulted in structures that are unsafe to use. This safety concern extends to the teacher
housing. The walls, floors, and roof of
the teacher housing are unsafe.
Provisional Solution
Second, the organization with which I volunteer is happy to
loan the use of the health center as a provisional classroom. While the structure is not finished, it does
have an excellent roof, walls, and a door that may be secured. At this time, the construction of the health
center is suspended. We expect the
construction to resume in September 2024.
A Plan to Go Forward
Third, we (our organization, the students, parents,
community members, and teachers) request that repairs be made as quickly as
possible. La Libertad is one of the most
vulnerable communities in the Amazon. We
see education as one of the surest ways to improve the community and to help
create competent people, workers, and community members. A school in good repair sends a strong
message that the students, teachers, and community are valued. This helps to promote positive self-esteem
and hope for the future.
Please contact me so we may find solutions to the problems
of the school in La Libertad. All the
time we wait, the higher the probability that our students leave school to work
in illicit activities in Peru.
Thank you for your time,
Ben Angulo
More photos of the school:
