Changing Colombia one Child at a Time

Changing Colombia One Child At a Time

On any normal day while walking down the street you may pass one or more ordinary women fitting the description of; a forty-two year old Latino women, with a light olive skin tone, and highlighted dirty blonde hair. Fitting this description however is Catalina Escobar and anyone who knows her story is aware that she far from ordinary. The mark Catalina Escobar has left on this world is extraordinary. Catalina Escobar is a caring women working to make a positive difference in young mothers lives for both them and their babies through her foundation, The Juan Felipe Gomez Escobar Foundation.

Growing up in a family where her father preached that helping social causes was the most important factor for success and happiness, Catalina has always been willing to help others, especially from her Colombian heritage. Catalina grew up in the United States where she attended Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. During her college years she studied abroad in Osaka, Japan eager to learn about other cultures. In 1993 she graduated with a Business Administration degree. Catalina’s father offered her multiple jobs working for his company but Catalina’s dream was to be self-made and not dependent on her father so she created a business that imported and merchandized nutritional supplements. Catalina created a family with her husband and children and loved the life she lived. On-lookers would describe Catalina as, “a well-recognized entrepreneur with a great social sense and spirit” (PR Newswire). Living by her fathers’ words Catalina spent time volunteering at a hospital in Cartagena, Colombia where she was living at the time. One normal day in October 2000 Catalina was busy volunteering at Cartagena hospital when a boy, just twelve days old tragically died in her arms. It was a death that would have taken thirty dollars to prevent – however, the teenage money had no way of earning this money. Catalina was heartbroken but that was just the beginning of tragic events to happen to poor Catalina.

The following week Catalina took time away from the hospital devastated by what I had happened, but the worst she could imagine was still to come. Catalina Escobar’s 16-month year old son, Juan Felipe accidently fell from the balcony of her home. Juan Felipe passed away and Catalina experienced what is every parent’s worst nightmare – the agony of losing a child. This chain of events made Catalina realize she had to take action. She sold her company, which she had now owned for 3 years and set forth to make a difference. Determined to make sure no mother had to feel the pain she had felt when she lost her son she started the Juan Felipe Gomez Escobar Foundation.

Dedicated to helping improvised children and their young mothers, she started off at the hospital she volunteered at working to lower the infant mortality rate. Catalina worked bringing in special doctors working in pediatrics and opening up a neo-natal branch, the Juan Felipe Medical Center. She improved the quality and health care for children and created a program to help cover these medical costs so that each child had equal opportunity to be taken care of. In just five years Catalina and her work helped drop the infant mortality rate by 67%. Catalina realized soon though, that once the babies were released from the hospital they were going back to live with their mothers in poverty-stricken areas. She knew her social change could not stop with the newborns.

Colombia reported that, “20% of girls 15-19 are or have been pregnant” (CNN). Most of these young mothers were ages 14-16 and as Catalina described them, they were “babies having babies”. Cartagena, Colombia is an extremely poor area where two thirds are living in poverty. She knew the only way to ensure the long-term health of the children was to break the cycle of poverty. Making sure their young mothers had the education and a skill needed to get a job was the first step. In 2002, Catalina began training these young mothers through a teen mothers program as well as an extension program. When girls first check into the long-term program they are given therapy since many of the girls became the pregnant because they were raped. On a typical day they will drop of their child off at the programs daycare and go on with a day full of classes where they can continue or start their basic education, learn their new responsibilities of being a mom, basic hygiene to take care of themselves and their child. They are also given lessons on prevention of becoming pregnant again. Since most of these girls live in poverty they have a chance to receive a well-balanced meal while attending their everyday classes. After their girls finish their education or graduate from the program, the teenage mothers program assists girls find jobs in their field, as well as sponsor scholarships of