Supporting Indigenous Education with Connectivity in Colombia
Fundación Tierra Grata (TG) is a social organisation working to improve education and well-being in remote communities in Colombia. This is done through the implementation of projects that promote rural development and enhance access to services such as energy, connectivity, water, and sanitation. They work primarily with families who have experienced armed conflict, as well as indigenous and minority rural farming populations who face systemic barriers in accessing basic rights from the state.
Their ‘Escuelas Gratas’ project supports schools in rural areas in closing the education gap and reducing disparities in educational experiences across the country. This is done through enhancing school facilities and services. By supporting dignified education, TG seeks to help youth break the cycle of poverty and assist in the development of their communities.
Jangala’s current partnership with TG, funded by the Lenovo Foundation, focuses on the Centro Educativo Indígena e Intercultural Semillas de Maíz, which is located in the Las Chozas Indigenous Reserve in Cauca, home to approximately 560 people from the Nasa and Yanacona indigenous communities. This is a school that is self-managed by the community, and has around 120 students from kindergarten to tenth grade (age 5 to 16). Here, the community-based approach offers an education rooted in intercultural principles focused on strengthening a sense of indigenous identity, indigenous language, and the preservation of ancestral knowledge.
TG has set up a Jangala Big Box which is used to bring reliable internet access to the school, facilitating its connection to digital learning resources. This has complemented their project to construct a computer room, and has allowed internet coverage to reach the entire site. This now allows teachers to show videos, use digital libraries, and use technology to enhance teaching. The school is also used as a community gathering point outside of school hours, so the benefits are expanded to the whole community. It has been used to facilitate communication, and access to resources, services, and opportunities, such as booking healthcare appointments.
The importance of the Big Box has been summarised by TG:
At TG, we believe that essentials should be available to everyone, and having new tools to study in rural areas is what reduces the gaps between rural and urban areas. Education can be the fastest vehicle for overcoming poverty, so providing these tools can have an impact on improving the education of these generations and giving them better opportunities through connection.
Luis, External Operations Coordinator, TG.
TG said that installation was very easy, and was done jointly by a member of Tierra Grata, a teacher, and the tenth-grade students! Whilst they faced challenges with the access points and rainy weather, they have created their own shelters to protect the technology.
We are very proud to see the Big Box being used in an area that has historically been excluded from digital projects, and that it is benefitting not only the students, but also the wider community.