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Sending Charity Containers to Colombia

I know a while back I did see something on this website about a guy who works in the comunas in medellin to distribute food for entire community. I saw a post by a guy I believe was called motorcyle diaries or something like that who know about this person and has worked with him on feeding programs.

I am trying to build a network of very reliable contacts because I am trying to organize the colombian community here in toronto to send containers full of clothes, books, medications, toys etc to the needy communities in Colombia. I have the contacts here in toronto, I am just trying to gather as much information about foundations in colombia and which are the most reliable.

I have some contacts and will make more once I am down there next week, but since I am aiming at performing a very high scale collection, I would like to hear some suggestions from those of you who have experience about who it is better to work with and some of the customs and legal issues that we might encounter.

I appreciate any advice that anyone can give me and once the program comes together, I would love to share the info with you guys!

I want everything to be really transparent here, that is why I am looking for as much advice as I can get.

Thanks!

By Colombiche on Aug 26, 2005, 16:33 in Friendly Talkzone.

adrimm (☼Travelguide writer) says on Aug 26, 2005, 18:29:

If you don't mind working with another organization, you could try the Saint Vincent de Paul Society. I know that the Canadian National society sends aid via the Colombian National society (which is like 150 years old) to be distributed by local conferences in Colombia in many of the displacado communities on the outskirts of the cities.

The international website is http://www.ozanet.org/

One of my aunts belongs to a conference that delivers hampers to families several times a year and organizes literacy and manual skills training for people in those communities.

IMHO, if you do go this route you'd be best off to personally contact whoever runs the National Society in Colombia or whatever branch conference you and judge for yourself how well it works. Working via the Canadian National Society is beaurocracy at it's worst, so it is best to skip them altogether.

I'm sure you'll get better ideas of numerous other contacts once you get down there, which may prove better suited to distributing help, but here is one to add to your list to check out.

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kernow62 says on Aug 26, 2005, 18:31:

Combiche send a PM to GringoIn Bogota, he distributes used children's shoes to the poor children of Bogotá. I am sure he would be grateful of any help. I have been trying with no success to get good used shoes for him in Orlando, it seems like the shoes here all end up in Haiti. At least they end up where they can be used.

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Colombiche says on Aug 26, 2005, 19:20:

Thanks Adrimm and Kernow I will contact Gringo, and I will definitely look into the Vincent de Paul society. I hate to see all these perfectly good clothes and shoes always going to waste!

Thanks again.

No me den trago extranjero, que es caro y no sabe a bueno.... (Rafael Godoy)

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desdeeastvan says on Aug 26, 2005, 21:21:

Shop Locally, Think Globally I think 21st century ideas on best practice on aid involves buying stuff in the country you want to help, rather then shipping a bunch of second hand stuff across the ocean. I first heard this from the Red Cross here in Canada, which does not accept donations of this type. Best to send cash directly to the people you want to help, and let them purchase what they need to get ahead locally. If you want to give all those nice clothes and shoes away, there are plenty of poor people in your home town who will make good use of them. Some of them may even be from Colombia originally. If the clothes are any good, you could even sell them in a retro shop in the hip part of town, and sent the money south.

Is there a real shortage of this kind of stuff in Colombia, or just a shortage of cash in peoples pockets to buy what they need?

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paisa29 says on Aug 27, 2005, 10:53:

try this: www.conexioncolombia.terra.com.co

"Fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality" Conrad Hilton

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kernow62 says on Aug 27, 2005, 11:25:

The problem as I understand it with sending cash to buy new stuff in Colombia is that some of that cash will not end up where it is meant to benefit, and secondly new shoes or clothes might be sold instead of ending up with the poor children.

I know GringoIn Bogota could elaborate in detail, but as I understand it he and his friends directly distribute the shoes to those who need them. There are no organisations skimming a bit off the top. If you send a good pair of servicable used children's shoes his way, they WILL find there way to a poor child who needs them.

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