• 525 children and adolescents from the communities of Ararca, Santa Ana and Barú participate in the project.
• With the support of seven organizations: the Somos Barú Association, the Punta Iguana Nautical Club, the Colombianitos Foundation, the Hernán Echavarría Olózaga Foundation, the Puerto Bahía Foundation, the Santo Domingo Foundation and the Argos Group, this initiative has been launched with the aim of developing skills for life and strengthen the health of its participants through sport with pedagogical intent..

In the midst of games and teachings, the "Barú está en la judada" (Barú is on the move) program has been running for seven months where, soccer practices, softball and psychopedagogical activities, have been used to counteract the negative effects caused by pandemic in terms of sedentary lifestyle, mental health, problems of coexistence and academic setback. “Barú está en la jugada” donde a través de entrenamientos de fútbol, sóftbol y actividades psicopedagógicas se contrarrestan los efectos negativos que ha dejado la pandemia en términos de sedentarismo, salud mental, problemáticas de convivencia y retroceso académico.

Santiago Rodríguez, an 11-year-old boy from the community of Ararca, has participated in the sports activities and assures that his behavior has improved, especially when he is with his friends, “participating in the program has taught me to respect others, calling them by name and listening to their ideas in a respectful manner,” he explained. “participar en el programa me ha enseñado a respetar a los demás, llamándolos por su nombre y escuchando sus ideas de manera respetuosa”, explicó.

Overcoming the challenges of the pandemic

“As it is public knowledge, the pandemic has highlighted social and educational problems that we have had as a country. One of the most marked difficulties in the children of the Island is related to the weakness in their reading, writing and mathematics skills, which is why the activities of the pedagogical component are of great value since they have strengthened said skills in the participants. ”, assures Gladys Sanmiguel, executive director of the Colombianitos Foundation.

Sharick Maldonado, a 9-year-old girl who lives in Santa Ana, assures that because of the teachers at 'Barú está en la jugada' she learned to write her name, to count up to 100 and to tell time on digital en hand clocks.

For the project, including parents is important, which is why in the psychosocial component there have been workshops and recreational activities such as 'Rumba therapies', providing tools to improve coexistence and communication in their homes as well as strategies to reduce stress and tensions within the family. Furthermore the program teaches parents how to effectively communicate to their children, the risks that come with underage alcohol consumption and promote preventive strategies for it and other psychoactive substances.

Susana de la Rosa, a mother of the Barú community, is grateful for the project because she has seen many positive changes in her daughter Ana Sofía's behavior and in her own role as a mother, "thanks to the workshops I have learned to manage stress , to guide my daughter in a more positive way and to have spaces for a more constant communication”, she pointed out. “gracias a los talleres he aprendido a manejar el estrés, a orientar a mi hija de una forma más positiva y tener espacios de comunicación más constante”, señaló.

Being a health project, 'Barú está en la jugada', has carried out screening and weight evaluation sessions to verify the nutritional status of the boys and girls who entered the project. These days are complemented by different activities such as talks and workshops with parents and minors, in which a balanced diet and healthy habits are promoted.

“This is a project that came to invigorate the daily practices of the participants and promote their sustainable development. It has been the stage for children and young people to develop life skills and healthy living habits, experiencing valuable learning in terms of conflict resolution, teamwork and assertive communication,” said María Stephanie González, social development manager of the Santo Domingo Foundation. afirmó María Stephanie González, gerente de desarrollo social de la Fundación Santo Domingo.

Another of the objectives of 'Barú està en la jugada' is to strengthen the island's sports organizations . Through training, sports leaders acquire new knowledge and teachings with the help of expert organizations such as 'Nuevos Rumbos' (New Routes) and with the methodology of the Colombianitos Foundation 'Juguemos por la paz' (Let's play for peace), which integrates sports practices with life skills, the building of citizenship and the early prevention of alcohol consumption.

Five sports organizations in the region: Club Deportivo Isla Barú Ararca, Corpoclub Social y Deportivo Santa Ana Isla de Barú, Fundeiba (Isla Barú Sports Foundation), Real Star Sports Corporation, Asoclub Recrear Barú and the Community Councils of Santa Ana, Ararca and Barú support the development of the project.

This way, 'Barú está en la jugada' continues to create more opportunities for the island's communities, training the new generations through sport.