Strong girls become stronger women

My name is Andrea Gonzalez Duarte and I am the founder of the Volunteers in Colombia Foundation. 


I started this foundation because I knew firsthand the impact of one woman’s brave decision to prioritize safety and well-being. 


My biological mother had me when she was in an abusive relationship. While I was still a baby, she made the brave decision to leave an abusive man but didn’t have the resources to give me the upbringing she wanted for me. 


As a result, I have always felt a very personal connection with women's rights issues as this subject has affected me from a very young age — it’s the reason I got adopted.

 

 

 

 

Strong girls become stronger women

 

At the Volunteers in Colombia Foundation, we believe in empowerment and equality. With our Box2Grow program, we give at least 50 girls and women the opportunity to take boxing and self-development classes in a disadvantaged neighborhood in Medellín, and through this, they become empowered women that aren’t afraid to take control of their lives.

 

 

 

 

We believe in the power of women and their ability to become resilient changemakers in their lives and greater communities. The Volunteers in Colombia Foundation leads local initiatives and self-development programs that empower girls and women from the age of seven and up in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities to become educated, self-sufficient, confident and have self-determination in their own lives. Based in the hillside neighborhood of La Honda, which started as an informal settlement, the community is turning to boxing, which is challenging stereotypes and opening doors to new opportunities.

 

Boxing is deemed a traditionally male-dominated sport, but at Volunteers in Colombia Foundation, we are driven by its potential to break down barriers and empower women to regulate their emotions and embrace their inner fighters. In the women’s classes, we cover sexual education, mindfulness, human rights, and even offer coaching to encourage our participants to follow their dreams. Our next step will be to establish specialized apprenticeship programs to help make those goals and dreams a reality.

 

It is time to throw your hat in the ring and get involved today!

Meet Juanita...

Juanita is an 11-year-old girl of Afro-Colombian origin, living with her mom and two brothers.
They had to build their house out of wood and plastic six years ago after being forced to flee their village due to armed conflict – her father was even kidnapped.

Her mother sells ice cream in Medellín’s city center, barely making enough to cover rent, food, water, and other necessities. In the meantime, Juanita has to stay at home to take care of her younger brother and, since Covid-19 hit, she hasn’t been able to go to school.

That’s why Juanita has often felt that there’s nobody that really cares about her, and it’s her background, ethnicity, and current situation that made her feel even more excluded...

Recently, Juanita has been part of our Box2Grow program for 8 months. She completed 96 hours of boxing training and 27 hours of classroom education. The program taught her self-defense and discipline.

She is always on time in the classes, she can express her emotions in a healthy way. Also, she became a leader of her group and helps the younger girls to get better in boxing.

 

Juanita is telling that she feels more connected to herself and the people around her. She has less anger in herself and because of this she can focus better.

There are hundreds of girls like Juanita who need your support today.

 

 

 

The unfortunate reality is that every day, women and girls face discrimination, injustice, and a lack of opportunities. And at all levels of education, the economic participation rate of women is less than men, despite their desire for schooling.

 

 

Rape in Colombia tripled over past 20 years; 87% of victims are minors.

 

 

In 2019, in Colombia, 95% of sexual abuse cases were committed against females,

In the Comuna of Manrique, where La Honda belongs, 132 women reported sexual abuse in 2019, and about 48% of these cases took place in their own homes – where they should feel safe.

 

But gender inequality is not only a pressing moral issue or a women’s issue, it’s a human rights issue.

 

As a McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) report states, advancing women’s equality can add $12 trillion to global growth. If women, who account for half the world’s working-age population, do not achieve their full economic potential, the global economy suffers and there are dire implications in local communities too.

 

We believe that education is one of the most effective social equalizers for women around the world. When given equal opportunity and access to education, women and girls can see improved health, lower birth rates, and a higher chance of becoming business owners, community leaders, and educators themselves.

 

 

 

 

In La Honda, and the whole Comuna of Manrique, we run the only long-term women’s empowerment program. We work with social leaders in the community, and we are an international NGO. What makes our approach unique to the work of other organizations is tackling socio-economic problems through sexual education, women’s rights discussions, and psychological therapy.

 

To succeed and to expand to other neighborhoods, we need at least $30,000 per year from donations, grants, and sponsors.

 

 

 

For 50 dollars, you support one woman in the Box2Grow program for one month. This month, she will get 12 hours of boxing classes and six hours of women’s classes. She will be introduced to the basic techniques of boxing and in the women classes, learn how to speak in the group, and get a better understanding of the position of a woman in today’s society.

 

For 150 dollars, you will support a participant for three months. She will master the basics of boxing techniques. In the women classes, she has more confidence to share her thoughts and opinions. She will know her rights as a woman. Also, in these three months, the group gets closer, and they develop more trust towards each other. Because we work with a reward system, she will get a t-shirt of the Box2Grow project. This is the first part of the uniform.

 

For 300 dollars, you will support a woman for 6 months. During this time, she will build trust in the group and her teachers. Her stamina will improve significantly: Not only will she own the basic technique, but she will also be able to understand more complex combinations. Because of the women’s classes, she will be part of a closely-knit group that goes beyond learning about women’s rights. We share personal stories about what it’s like being a woman, how our body changes, how we relate to other people, and what dreams we have.

 

For 600 dollars, the participant will be in the program for 12 months, becoming a full member of the Box2Grow community. She will grow both physically and mentally, being able to see the results of her hard work in the program. By persevering, having the discipline, and not giving up, she will see where she stands after one year. She can make deeper connections, not only with herself but also with other participants. Not only she has the shirt, but she also owns the short and when she really shows outstanding work, she will even own her own boxing gloves. Then, she will be able to defend herself better physically and mentally against any form of abuse.