I feel so fortunate to have been a part of my school community here in Pitalito. They have overwhelmed me with kindness and generosity. Before I leave, I want to reciprocate some of that love.

The short video above is a glimpse into my joyful time here, and also shows a little bit about the causes behind this fundraiser. In case you’re interested, below is a longer reflection about my school community, and more information about where this money will go.

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When I arrived in Pitalito I was in a bit over my head. I had thought that this adventure might resemble my vacation-like study abroad experience. This false expectation was common among most teachers in my program. Many of my peers struggled to settle into their cities, and some have never really felt at home this year.

For many reasons I feel extremely fortunate to have been placed in my extraordinary community in Pitalito. Here in a small town in a remote region of Colombia, I’ve been teaching English at a technical institute called SENA. Similar to a community college, our farm campus provides free vocational degrees in everything from culinary, to computer programming, to, most importantly, coffee production.

My greatest gift has been my teaching mentor and friend, Osbein. Since day one he has been like an older brother to me, making sure that I feel settled and happy in Pitalito. I immediately felt embraced by his wife, daughters, parents, sisters, dozens of cousins, and the rest of his community in Pitalito.

In January, my mom and my cousin Katie visited Pitalito. Here we are with Osbein and his wife Diana.

On our farm campus, Osbein led the way in welcoming me into their tight-knit school community. I quickly formed meaningful friendships with several other teachers, getting to know their families and friends. These teachers provide a nurturing environment to the hundreds of students on campus, and it has been a joy to be a part of their school community.

Back in February I started planning a fundraiser for the more than twenty stray dogs who have been rescued by our farm campus. Colombia is full of stray dogs, and in Pitalito these dogs have a sixth sense for finding our campus oasis up in the mountains, ten miles outside of town. New dogs literally just show up on a weekly basis. Known as the dog whisperer, Osbein takes the lead in caring for our ever-growing herd of dogs. Along with widespread support from the teachers and students, our campus does an incredible job of welcoming all of the dogs, making sure that each dog settles into their new home and feels nurtured and loved. With the constant influx of new dogs, we are always scrambling for enough money to keep all of the dogs fed and medically cared for.

In addition to supporting the dogs, there is another cause that is extremely important to our community. In March, a multimedia production student named Santiago suffered a horrible motorcycle accident. After being in a coma for several weeks, Santiago has been making a miraculous recovery. He is a brilliant 17-year old who is bursting with kindness and enthusiasm. He and I connected immediately during our first English class together. The entire school has banded together to support Santiago and his family. We are currently raising money to help pay for Santiago’s cranioplasty surgery (after his accident he underwent a craniectomy due to the swelling in his brain).

I’ll be leaving Pitalito at the end of this month. Before I leave, through this fundraiser, I hope to reciprocate the love and generosity that my school community has given me.

Please consider supporting these two causes that are so meaningful to me. Every donation, no matter the size, will make a great difference.