Becarios

Agents of change meeting ADAPTO

ADAPTO Agents of change meeting

This section is dedicated to the leaders who participated in the meeting of Agents of Change in Santa Clara, during the first week of March 2019. This meeting allowed the exchange of knowledge and experiences among the agents and, with ADAPTO students and researchers of the project. The conclusions of this meeting, coordinated by Elsa Monsalve, are available here.

In our project, "agents of change" refers to individuals (with emphasis on women) who show various forms of leadership (charismatic, communicational and organizational) within their own social groups (such as families, communities, cities, organizations). To get in touch with them or to find more information about the agents of change, visit their Facebook site.

[+] Ana Milena González, community leader in Salgar, Colombia.

Ana Milena González Betancur was born in the municipality of Salgar, Colombia. Woman, dreamer, spontaneous, proactive, with strong roots in her homeland, she believes in the power of building a collective society and in the importance of loving and caring for the environmental heritage. Ana Milena is a Lawyer, specialized in Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law of Profession. She also created the Fundación Red social para el Desarrollo in the Municipality of Salgar in 2009, (an entity that won the "Distinción Vida de Corantioquia" award in 2013 and the Contest Mujeres Jóvenes Talento of Antioquia in 2014). Ana Milena, believes in endogenous development, in working in collaboration networks, in the local economy, in territorial peace and in actions to strengthen social capital, to build autonomous and sustainable development. "Being an agent of change of Salgar with the Adapto Project is a great opportunity to share experiences on local adaptations to climate change with people of different nationalities and educational knowledge, with students, researchers, teachers or communities. We also strengthen what we do in our territories and we generate connections with people who act in various local initiatives, especially recognizing women, who with their leadership develop transforming initiatives. This sharing space allows to acquire great lessons we can later apply in our municipalities ".

[+] Carmen Daniel, community leader in Carahatas, Cuba.

Carmen Luisa Daniel Gutiérrez was born in Sagua La Grande, municipality of the province of Villa Clara, Cuba. Since 1997, she has lived in Carahatas, a fishing community of the Quemado de Güines municipality, where she has carried out her social work and is known as the adopted daughter of the community. She has a bachelor’s and master's degree in education. She founded the group "Mirando al Mar" in 1997 in Carahatas, which won the "Salvando Vidas" award in 2005. Carmen Luisa is also the winner of the "Protecting our Environment" contest in 2013, during the Marino Costero festival. In addition, she founded the "Mujeres del Mar" micro-project in 2017. Carmita, as she is popularly known, considers that actions to strengthen the role of women as a fundamental link in fishermen's families are fundamental to contribute to the adaptation to climate change and the sustainable development of the community. "Being an agent of change in Carahatas with the ADAPTO project, is an excellent opportunity to share and acquire new strategies and ideas on how to adapt to the effects of climate change." In my community, initiatives are urgently needed to address these dangers that are already evident, so the project is a necessary platform for exchange and learning"

[+] Deysi Marcela Mora. community leader in Mocoa, Colombia

Deisy was born in Mocoa, she did her professional practice in the Corporación Antioquia Presente, and is currently finishing her career in social work. After Mocoa experienced torrential flash floods and landslides in March 2017.Deysi has provided services to the affected families. This life-changing experience transformed her from a victim to a leader without even realizing it. She took a painful and traumatic experience and turned it into an opportunity to get to know herself and to discover the potential that every human being has to develop resilience. “After living the terrible experience of facing death, my life was transformed, and I learned to value it even more and to think more about what I wanted for myself. All this generated within me a process of transformation and empowerment that allowed me to confront the situation. I discovered several skills and abilities that I didn’t know I had. This helped me to grow as a human being. I didn’t only improve my life, I also helped improve the way of living for my family and of many other affected people”.

[+] Katherine Inostroza, community leader in Concepción, Chile

Katherine is a sociologist and a medicinal herbs teacher. She is 36 years old and lives in the Nonguén Valley, in Concepción-Chile. Since she was young she has been interested in promoting sustainable and healthy local development. In 2014, she had the opportunity to speak at the "Movement for the defense of Valle Nonguén" event. She has contributed to her locality, promoting various projects that strengthen the value of natural heritage, community work as a form of organization and empowerment, and music. Katherine actively participates in a self-managed school and contributes to gardening and music in the environmental education sector. In addition, through the municipality of Concepción, she organizes workshops of medicinal herbs, expand awareness love, and respect for our planet.

[+] Jaime Osma, community leader in Yumbo, Colombia.

Jaime Wilson Osma Gutiérrez or "cucharita", as the community of Barrio las Américas calls him, is a systems technologist and an old-guard soccer player. Jaime belongs to and leads the community of Yumbo, the industrial capital of Valle del Cauca-Colombia, where he has created deep roots since his arrival several decades ago. Currently, he is a physical education teacher and serves as a soccer coach for boys and girls in Yumbo. Jaime also works as coordinator of the senior group "Luz de Vida," where he develops different activities to promote physical well-being. In addition, he has worked for public and private entities, helping to improve his community quality of life through sports and collective work.