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Learn about the social & environmental projects we support in Colombia
Neptuno actively supports various foundations and projects in Colombia, amongst those both social and environmental organisations. In the following you find more detailed information about the current projects, that are supported by Neptuno. A visit to some of them can even be included in your itinerary.
Colombia is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world. About 1900 species of birds are native to the different climate zones of Colombia. At the same time the country faces an increasing endangering of its biggest capital: the biodiversity.
In Cota a few kilometers in the northwest of Bogota the foundation “Bioparque La Reserva” is working with heart, soul and a lot of love for the nature to counteract destructive dynamics that affect the Colombian flora and fauna gradually and in silence. Their mission is to maintain Colombia’s biodiversity by fighting for threatened bird species, creating ecosystems by planting different native trees and to distribute their knowledge about Colombia’s biodiversity as well as about sustainability and the science of animal behaviour among the population. In order to spread their message the foundation dedicates itself to a playful, experimentative such as critical education and sensibilisation about the inhabitants of their park. Besides tourists also plenty of schools are visiting the park.
The respectful and sensitive handling of the animals and plants is reflected during the tour through the park which is made of recycled materials. Guided by a local expert, the tour leads through different ecosystems, that are recreations of the birds´ natural habitat. In the species-appropriate enclosures the animals themselves are prevailing and humans who enter, explore their habitat with caution and respect.
The animals’ sense of security in combination with a particular training by the ethologist and the foundation’s co-founder makes them lose their fear of humans and give the visitors the unique opportunity to be very close to the animals and observe them in action. The basic idea of the park is a submissive behaviour of the visitors and the confrontation with the destinies of both, of the individual animal as well as of the entire species or of conspecifics. These features marks the main difference between the Biopark and a traditional zoo. Among others the mainly addressed problems concern the effects and consequences of human lifestyle on the flora and fauna, the illegal international trading of certain species and the inadequate handling of animals as pets.
Neptuno grew to love this project. In our opinion the foundations makes an incredibly important contribution to protect and conserve Colombia´s biodiversity, a biodiversity so unique that Colombia wouldn’t be the Colombia we love and appreciate without it. Therefore we would like to invite our clients to visit this unique place and learn about the effects and consequences of their own and mass behaviour on the environment of Colombia. We would like to further develop our collaboration with the foundation and go on a journey of knowledge, of critical reflection, a journey to the incredible flora and fauna in the Bioparque La Reserva in Cota.
With heart and soul the foundation “Hogar de paz” strives to improve the life quality of children between the age of 5-10 who live in vulnerable conditions in the northern district of Bogota trying to reveal new perspectives for their life.
In most cases the kids come from difficult family situations characterised by poverty, conflicts and neglect. Their daily life is minted by violence within the family and they spend a lot of time alone as their parents or their single parent need to work during the day. At this point the foundation “Hogar de PaZ” starts to intervene. In their lovely furnished rooms the kids get the possibility to spend their time after school, do their homework with support, play with the other children as well as learn and improve their English.
The foundation´s goal is to provide a holistic support for the children based on Christian values. They teach them to solve their problems or conflicts peacefully, to cope with negative life experiences, as well as contribute to the children´s physical development by providing good nutrition and they support their academic education. Sharing time with the children, hearing their stories and problems and showing them affection – things that they wouldn’t get in their families-, the voluntary and permanent employees are making an immense and very important contribution to the children´s personal development.
Neptuno has been supporting the foundation for some years and we are convinced by their incredibly valuable contribution to the kids’ present and future.
Currently, there are three sites of “Hogar de Paz”. The employees are always endeavoured to open new sites to offer a home of peace to more children and the plan is to open a new “Hogar de Paz” in another part of the North of the city as soon as possible.
The foundation “Amigos del Abuelo” feels strongly about one of the most vulnerable population group: the oldest members of society.
In the centre of Bogotá, the “grandfather’s friends” are providing shelter for currently 27 seniors who were outcasted by their families and by society and whose final place to live was the street. Being physically and mentally injured, for most of the seniors the foundation saved their life at the last minute. Life on the streets of Bogotá at this age left its marks on most of them. Each of them can tell a very particular and mostly tragic life story.
Since 1999 the foundation strives to give them the chance to live their old age gracefully and in good company. This means that everyone owns his/her own bed, they eat, play and socialize together. Every day the employees master the art of distributing the seniors´ medication, prepare food, take care of everyone, do the laundry and chat with the residents in order to create a harmonic coexistence of 27 distinct characters.
For a couple of years Neptuno has been supporting this project, which represents one of very few projects supporting the elderly members of our society.
In order to meet with legal standards and thus ensure the foundation’s persistence, its building needs to be renewed. At the moment they are trying to obtain licences to build a new and bigger building on the neighbouring empty lot.
The foundation “Niños de los Andes”(Children of the Andes) is dedicated to the protection of the fundamental rights of children in the Andean region of Colombia, mainly in the capital Bogotá. When the foundation started about 40 years ago, a central component was to take in children from the streets and rescue them from a life full of suffering, violence and drugs. Today, several of the foundation’s programs are focused on the reception of children from problematic family backgrounds, providing them with food, psychological support and getting them used to functioning social structures. For several decades already, each year, several hundred children between the ages of 8 and 24 have been given the opportunity to grow up in a regulated, harmonious and dignified environment, with the aim of re-integrating them into their families, if conditions permit.
Niños de los Andes has various institutions, amongst them Saint Patrick’s House in the west of the city, which currently houses some 30 boys and men aged between 14 and 24. If you take a look at the everyday life of the young residents, you understand the incredible work the mentors perform day after day and the impact they have on the children’s lives. The children grow up within a large family without the mentors losing sight of the kids` individual needs. Each kid has a different background, which is taken into account and each one receives the appropriate support. While for some of them finally learning to read and write is a massive success, others get to study at the university or receive another type of education. Until their graduation, they are allowed to stay in the house and thus receive the necessary financial and familial support to complete their degree successfully. These privileges provided by Niños de los Andes contribute to a positive development of the children`s life towards a happy and promising future.
The Nuevo Amanecer campus in northeastern Bogotá, on the edge of the mountains, is another of the Foundation’s facilities. It is home to some 70 boys and girls – a home where they grow up with a full stomach in a loving environment. Whether it is music lessons, romping around on the spacious green grounds, eating together or talking to their most important contact persons, the mentors, it is clear that the children are leading a dignified and peaceful life which has great impacts on their further development. Hopefully – and that is another main focus of the foundation`s work – with the support of their own families.
The foundation Niños de los Andes has opened our hearts to Neptuno. We are happy to support a project that has proven its fruitfulness and sustainability over decades through numerous prosperous life stories.
The foundation Servicio Juvenil Bosconia is a non-profit organization dedicated to the extensive care, education and support of street children aged between 7 and 18. Due to the lack of family support, the children live in an environment of violence and poverty, as well as drugs, alcohol and crime – without any educational opportunities or future prospects. The foundation was founded in 1964 by the priest Javier de Nicoló, who came from Italy to Colombia with the aim of providing needy children and young people a safe home in which they can grow up free of fear and worries. The vision to improve the children’s quality of life and to provide them with professional education and future prospects, is put into practice on a daily basis by the committed staff. The work of the trained team begins with building trust with the teenagers on the street in order to convince them to participate in the programme. Once the street children have been incorporated in the programme, they are taught values and are educated primarily through sports, art, music and dance and receive a lot of individual attention, time and love – by doing so, the children and teenagers get back what they often lacked in their childhood or youth. During the entire process, the main focus is always mutual respect and motivation, which, together with the affection they receive, is an important factor in ensuring that the residents study with interest and enthusiasm. In addition, they receive psychological and medical care, healthy food and learn to overcome and solve problems in order to escape the cycle of need and crime. The educational offers and programs offered by the foundation in craft professions such as electronics, carpentry, bakery, locksmithery, ceramics, welding or tailoring, which play an important part in this by opening up promising future prospects for the children. In addition, the children are supported in their search for a job or a place to study after graduating from school.
In order to offer help and support to as many Colombian children as possible, the organisation has various institutions throughout Colombia – e.g. in Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, Tumaco, Barranquilla and Buenaventura. The “Casa de la 78” in Bogotá, where young people from very needy backgrounds live together in a sheltered community, is the headquarter of the foundation. In Nemocón, a town north of Bogotá, there is a school of the foundation where children and teenagers from the area are taught and supervised. We at Neptuno are very happy to support the work of Bosconia, whose success has already been proven by many individual stories, and thereby contribute to teaching the youngsters independence and personal responsibility.
Saving the Amazon not only performs simple reforestation in the Colombian Amazon, but also involves indigenous communities in the process, which generates income for the communities and promotes the preservation of their natural habitat.
Each donated tree is labeled with the donor’s name, and the donor receives a tree certificate as well as a link to track the current status of the donated tree. Over a 3-year period, Saving the Amazon will additionally send a photo of the tree at least every 6 months.
Trips to the communities are also already planned and will hopefully soon be possible for interested customers/donors.
Here are some current key data about the project (as of July 2023):
– one tree compensates 1.08 tons of CO2 over a period of 45 years (professional estimate)
– 33 indigenous communities and thus about 350 families are supported by the project
– 578,656 trees have already been planted
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Bei Neptuno seit 2023
Jose wuchs in Deutschland auf und besuchte mit 22 Jahren das Land seiner Großeltern, Kolumbien. Während seiner Reise erkundete er die Natur, die Landschaft und verliebte sich in die Menschen, die Kultur und die Geschichte Kolumbiens. Jose liebt kolumbianischen Kaffee und hat Kaffeefarmen im Land besucht. Als deutscher Reiseführer mit über 6 Jahren Erfahrung in Kolumbien lebt er seine Leidenschaft für die Geschichte und den Kaffee aus.