*Please note that GoFundMe is not supported in Colombia, hence the Canadian bank account.*

Hello, we are the Renovando Sueños, a non-profit organization that seeks to improve the working conditions of Colombian recyclers. Their work, though crucial in protecting the ecosystems of one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, is unregulated, forcing them to endure inhuman working conditions, being paid barely a living wage. Our non-profit seeks to dignify their work by providing legal benefits, job security, personal protection equipment, and many other basic needs to ensure they have a safe and fulfilling job.

About Renovando Sueños Colombia:

Renovando Sueños Colombia is a non-profit organization created by Renovando Planeta, a Public Services company with more than 10 years of experience that collects, transports and classifies recyclable waste.

In order to provide its service, Renovando Planeta works with informal recyclers as suppliers. They collect and separate the material so they can sell it to Renovando Planeta, who pays a fair price. In addition, Renovando Planeta transports the seperated material collected from the condominiums and allied companies across the Sabana de Bogotá sector, removing the burden of manually transporting heavy materials from the recyclers.

Although Renovando Planeta is committed to working together with the recyclers and improving their work conditions, the recyclers are not employees of Renovando Planeta, but rather independent suppliers, which is why in 2021, Renovando Planeta decided to create the Renovando Sueños Colombia Foundation, in order to be able to work directly on welfare programs for recyclers and be able to raise funds to achieve the goal of improving their work and their lives.

The creation of the Renovando Sueños Colombia Foundation was also born from the necessity to raise awareness in the community about the social and environmental importance of the work of recyclers, since they have historically been a community that has been subjected to discrimination, disrespect and indignity. Renovando Planeta has provided recyclers work stability by assigning them specific apartment complexes and businesses to collect material from, so they no longer have to rely on sifting through trash on the streets.

The Foundation holds an end-of-year and Christmas party with all the recyclers and their families, in which excess donated funds are used to provide Christmas bonuses for the recyclers and gifts for their children and grandchildren.