Lots of things have happened since we posted our last entry on the blog in January. CAG has been running for over a year now and, just like in 2012, part of our work was focused on setting the charity as an entity, with all the paper work that means. This year we started working in full performance on all the projects and objectives we still have in favour of underprivileged children and teenagers.

Since January, CAG members have been organizing a variety of events and activities, like having a stand at Camden Market for a day, salsa parties or cupcake days at the office. We have also being painting t-shirts with the charity logo, selling second-hand clothes, coffee and marmalade. Thanks to these activities we have been able to accomplish a lot of achievements, such as:

• Starting Gedeon Cofee where some of the Foundation’s young adults do some paid work experience while helping to keep the Foundation working. 
  
• Acting in emergency cases related to power and water cuts by paying outstanding bills. 
  
• Distributing mopes made by the youths in the Foundation to be sold in supermarkets. 
  
• Transporting a big amount of wood to the Foundation in order to build a henhouse.
  
• Sending clothes, shoes, medicines, toys and hygiene products for all the children and teenagers. 
  

But, that is not it!! While writing this post, we are hoping to finish some more projects in the Pereira foundation, which we will keep you updated about.

If you like what we do, these are some ways in which you could support us:

• Sponsor a child. With a small monthly donation you could improve these children quality of life.
  
• Volunteer. If you live in London and you want to take part in this great project don’t hesitate to contact us. The more support, the better. There are plenty of ways you could help, like volunteering for CAG or at Pereira Foundation or helping out in events.
  
• Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter so that you keep updated about last CAG’s news. 
  
• Spread the word. Help us to be known by other people. 
  

We have just started a new year with great enthusiasm, and renewed energy and with the hope that this year we can achieve many positive things for the children and adolescents that we work for from the Pereira Foundation.
Yesterday we had our first meeting of the year in which we begin to plan our first events and activities, and also talk about the possible visits to the Foundation and volunteers.

The following is a preview of what we talked about:
· The Charity Gala, that we were unable to hold in December last year, is now scheduled for next spring. The exact date is still to be confirmed, but is something that we are already working on and that will inform you of as soon as we know. What we are sure about, is that it will be an event not to be missed, in which every penny raised will go to the children’s foundation.
· We are Colombians and Spaniards and that means that we like to party! So it’s very likely that we will organize another a party, as always for charitable aims.
· In the forthcoming months we will again begin to participate in street markets in which, as previously, we will sell our typical products (crafts, jams, coffee, clothing and second-hand goods) and also a novelty: hand painted children’s T-shirts with the CAG logo.

Happy 2013 to everyone. CAG hopes that all your wishes are fulfilled and that you will be able to witness us accomplishing all our plans, and more. 

Thank you  for Xavier’s and Carme’s collaboration that they shared with us on their Facebook page, thank you for the interest that so many people close to us have shown in this project, thank you to all the friends and relatives that have not hesitated in distributing information about CAG to others and thank you for the willingness shown by people who want to help us…. To all of you THANK YOU for ensuring that in one week the CAG Facebook page has been visited 646 times… in just one week! This is amazing and gives us the impulse to forge forward with this wonderful and important project for so many children there in Pereira.

Yesterday Sunday 9th of July, Xavier and Carme, also known as the couple from lavueltaalmundo.net, visited The Centre in Pereira where they met its Director, the children and adolescents and the volunteers who help out there. The Director, Rubiela, told them many stories about the children who are there, as well as the poor state in which many of them arrived there, (malnourished, with psychological damage due to the conditions in which they had been living or things that they had been forced to do, sick and desperately in need of love and protection…). Xavier and Carme were very emotional listening to these stories and were shocked by the precarious lives that they lived. We are sure that this is only the beginning of the story as there is still so much to do. In the meantime here is a photograph taken from their Facebook