Barú Project

Barú, Colombia (May 2019)

Project Goals

Santa Ana’s Community Action Board aims to unify efforts and resources to alleviate and resolve problems such as: 

  • Multidimensional poverty
  • Precarious work conditions
  • Homelessness
  • Broken streets and sewer systems
  • Limited quality education
  • Lack of recreation and sport spaces

Guiding Question 

What things facilitate or hinder your well-being and that of your community at the Santa Ana Educational Institution?

Project Description

In the rural island of Barú in Cartagena, Colombia, Santa Ana is home to an Afro-descendant community. Within this community, there has been an increased effort to improve the wellbeing of Santa Ana’s adolescent population. These efforts are put in place in order to alleviate the systemic barriers of poverty including issues such as adolescent substance abuse use and violence, high dropout rates and the increasing number of teen pregnancies. 

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of introducing a community-engaged citizen science approach among the youth in Santa Ana, specifically focusing on its impact on the school environment. Additionally, the study aimed to investigate how students could leverage their collective data to advocate for change with school stakeholders.

The Our Voice study in Baru is the one of the first citizen science projects in rural Latin America to empower members of a school community to advocate for data-driven improvements in their local environment, ultimately enhancing overall well-being.

Insights

Over a total of 27 Discovery Tool Walks, adolescent students attending secondary school in the island of  Barú in Cartagena, Colombia collected 198 photos and recorded 196 narratives about their schools and campuses.


The themes identified included: (1) Inclusiveness (2) Maintenance (3) Access

Strengths Identified

  • The citizen scientists were able to cultivate a culture among the student body that emphasized the importance of school property maintenance. Through their advocacy, students demonstrated to the community the empowerment and active engagement in collective actions. 

Identified Areas for Improvement

  • The citizen scientists identified many well-being barriers within their environment. They found a need for improvement to school infrastructure including furniture and bathrooms while at the same time a lack of a sense of belonging. 

Citizen Scientists Activities

School Community Meeting #1: The citizen scientists identified many well-being barriers within their environment. They found a need for improvement to school infrastructure including furniture and bathrooms while at the same time a lack of a sense of belonging. 

School Community Meeting #2: Citizen scientists met with relevant school stakeholders to advocate for improvements within the schools infrastructure. These stakeholders comprised school directors, teachers, an architect responsible for designing the improvements, representatives from the Amor Por Baru Foundation, a research team from the Universidad de Los Andes, and two coordinators offering logistical support to the Our Voice team. Following the presentation of their findings and proposed solutions, the research team compiled a report summarizing and documenting the results.

Project Outcomes

  • After the second community meeting. Amor por Baru Foundation had instituted several actions in order to reduce school infrastructure hazards identified by citizen scientists.
  • Community recognition of the empowerment of students to take collective action to improve the environment around them using the Our Voice method. 
  • Students within the community have been inspired to participate in student council and other community groups such as the fisherman. 

Some future, key, actionable ideas identified by citizen scientists includes:

  • Advocating for more investment and maintenance of school infrastructure 
  • Recognizing the potential dangers of poor or insufficient condition of school environment
  • Collaboration with stakeholders

 

People and Collaborators

Project Lead(s): 

  • Diana Rocio Higuera Mendieta
  • Felipe Montes Jimenez

Collaborating Organization(s) / Institutional Partner(s):

  • Institucion Educativa Santa Ana 
  • Amor Por Baru Foundation Staff
  • Universidad de Los Andes research team

Point of Contact for More Information:

  • Diana Rocio Higuera Mendieta: di-higue@uniandes.edu.co
  • Felipe Montes Jimenez: fel-mont@uniandes.edu.co

Our Voice Impact

"This experience has changed my life.  I see inadequacies everywhere I go as it relates to pedestrian access and safety.  I even stop [at] construction sites to remind them to be considerate of the handicapped in our community.  Thank you all so much for this awareness and empowerment to require change."

~ Pam Jiner, GirlTrek Advocacy Leader, Denver CO