Donor: Multiple Donors through Col5Vid
Local Allies: Fundación Grupo Argos, Fundación Antioquia Presente, Fundación Mario Santo Domingo, Fundación Granitos de Paz, Fundación Pies Descalzos, and AeioTú
Beneficiaries: 7,217 families (Over 28,000 individuals)
Location: Cauca, Atlántico, Bolívar, Meta, Magdalena, Antioquia, Tolima, Sucre, Santander, Boyacá, Caldas, Guajira, and Chocó
This project came about on April 16th, 2020, when Colombia went into quarantine and it became evident to Andres Arellano that even though young Colombians were in lockdown, there were many ways to help. He reached out to some well known Colombian philanthropists who helped him structure what today is called Col5Vid, a network of students and professionals working to support vulnerable communities that have been affected by the COVID-19 crisis.
The project sougth to guarantee food security for vulnerable families, distribute in-kind donations of essential goods, and raise national awareness among the youth. This was made possible through the work of strategic alliances, that allowed us to optimize the social impact. One such alliance was a collaboration with Fundación Grupo Argos, who gave a 100% match for the funds raised in the U.S., and proceeded to purchase the groceries and distribute them to the most vulnerable communities through their partners, Grupo Exito and La Recetta. In addition, Argos covered the costs of logistics, which include the purchases and deliveries.
As part of the intervention carried out in Quibdó, we were able to also provide medical and biosecurity kits, as well as training for the medical personnel of the hospital of Chocó. In addition, the project worked alongside Fundación Mario Santo Domingo, Fundación Granitos de Paz, Fundación Pies Descalzos, and AeioTú, to indetify the most vulnerable communities and provide these with prepaid cards for exclusive use in grocery stores.
As a result of these partnerships, the team managed to obtain dozens of in-kind donations and monetary donations that exceed $41,000, and was able to provide thousands of families throughout Colombia with enough food to last a family of four for at least a month.
