With Gerardo having to work for his NGO on Thursdays and Fridays, I have a couple of days free from the intensity of Aguablanca to work on other things. Being as Ive spent so much of the last year in one bedroom or another (not quite as glamourous as it sounds), its good to escape these confines periodically and change the study environment. To my great disappointment, Cali doesnt have a thriving coffee bar scene despite producing some of the worlds best beans. Rather than a quaint collection of independent bars, you have to go to one of the superficial shopping centres and even then youre forced to buy from the national equivalent of Starbucks (in this case Juan Valdez). I ended up at the Los Palmettos Mall purchased my 2 hour coffee and continued reviewing and updating my Philanthropy paper.
Whilst preparing my contextual description, I have focussed on what makes Aguablanca a slum; principally violence and social instabililty. The statistics speak for themselves and those of a nervous disposition should probably turn away now (that means you Mum and you to Pauline). According to UN statistics (2003), the average number of urban homicides (globally) stood at 7 per 100,000 inhabitants. Colombia Im afraid to say, is at the top of the list with a shocking 80 homocides/100,000. Now before you dispatch the marines, these figures must be placed in some kind of context. There is no doubt that compared to the average Colombia is a dangerous place, however these dangers are localised to very specific areas and invariably involve gang/drug related incidents. Beyond these neighbourhoods, people are getting on with their lives as they do everywhere else, in fact one of the principle local complaints is the absence of any good news stories from the international headlines.
Not withstanding the psychological impact of violence (particularly on the children), there remains one particular conundrun that no-one has answered to my complete satifaction; why is it that Colombia suffers out of all proportion to its neighbours, all of whom have similar histories and resources while many have far worse economic and/or social problems .i.e. Bolivia, Paraguay, Peru etc. Gerardo, a qualified psychologist himself has suggested that Colombians are fundamentally more volatile and less law abiding when compared to other South American countries. Whilst Gerardo may have a point, I have acquired a copy of Las Venas Abiertas de America Latina in order to provide a different perspective. Although the symptoms are clear, the seeds of such behaviour are lodged deep in the national psyche and its going to require a PhD style study to clearly define the problem and develop a strategy/educational pedagogy to affect this national tragedy. By the time Im finished for the day, darkness has fallen and whilst my flat is no great distance from Los Palmettos, Im carrying my laptop on my shoulder and a number of disturbing statistics in my head so I choose to take a taxi home rather than invite any trouble.

Saturday and Im up at 4.45am once again for another visit to the Fundacion Autonoma and this time Joni has decided to tag along. Leonor is very clear about rules/norms and consistency and the day passed off much as it had done the previous week though no less enjoyable. Having discussed the work of the foundation with my landlady, Ana Lucia and her friend from the bank, Lydia both are very keen to visit next week, neither having been to Aguablanca before and both wanting something constructive to do once they retire next year. Fortunately, Leonor was very positive about the idea and it will be an interesting to measure their reaction.
After the children had gone and Leonor had conducted 3 hours of review with the young maestros, it was time to head home myself. It turned out to be quite an eventful journey; firstly, a couple of motorbikes crashed right in front of our vehicle. Fortunately, both riders appeared to be OK however it was symbolic of another Colombian trait, road chaos. As Gerardo suggested Colombians are volatile and have absolutely no patience or lane discipline, in contraction to convention the horn is used as a warning to other road users that the driver is about to do something really stupid. Ive always considered myself a confident driver but theres no way on earth Id get behind the wheel on these roads, its a total lottery. Secondly and far more surprising than the RTA to our left, a game of rugby was in progress on our right. Naturally my interest was sparked and I asked Leonor to drop me off so I could take a closer look.

After a conversation with one of the reserve players, it turns out that I was witnessing a local tournament between four university teams and whilst I saw nothing that would convince me to dig out my gumshield and jockstrap, there is an apparent shortage of qualified referees. The official for this event actually had to be shipped in from Medellin and Ill admit that a part of me was hoping hed suffer a little injury and I could have a go. One of the teams present had been trained by a couple of French immigrants working in Cali and as a roast beef, I couldnt resist a harmless little dig in light of a resounding English victory over Les Bleus in the recent Six Nations. The standard was actually better than expected and its nice to know that if I do return to Colombia, my rugby experience wont go rotten on the vine. The French guys kindly invited me for the customary night out but after a full day at the foundation Id seen enough childlike behaviour for one day and so politely declined. There will be other opportunities and in the meantime it was good to see Colombian volatility being expressed in a more positive way than is usually associated with this paradoxically welcoming yet tragic country.
Looking at the plan for next week, we only have to introduce ourselves to one more school. We regards to the others, we are either returning to pick up DoS and teacher questionnaires and/or performing a parental study. If all goes well the data collection process could be 2/3 complete by Wednesday so at the risk of tempting fate, heres hoping for another successful week.

Wednesday. Our first appointment was at the Instituto Santa Rosa where we were planning to ambush a few unsuspecting parents . Whilst this approach represented a partial form of random sampling, we are limited to the group of parents that choose to collect their children from school as opposed to selection of all parents. This isnt perfect but as Gerardo indicated, we would almost certainly be wasting our time expecting children to take the questionnaires home returning at some future date with a completed version. To visit each household would also be impractical, afterall were having enough trouble finding the schools nevermind individual homes. This improbable task would also require that each of the DoS provide an up to date list of names and addresses. All things considered its not gonna happen, not on this trip anyway.
Whilst I performed the introductions, Joni sat with the parents and helped them complete the questionnaires. In the confined space provided, it wasnt long before we were surrounded by inquisitive children wondering what their parents were doing. As always, Joni is remarkably unflustered by the apparent chaos whilst I did my best to distract the children as they attempted to discover my nationality. Lots of gold stars for enthusiam, not so many for geography. This was the first opporunity Ive had to enquire about parental choice and the reasons underpinning a preference for private institutions. The supplementary questionnaire requires the parents to prioritise a list of related factors however, this model would appear to be overly complicated with many parents having difficulty understanding the task. Whilst we were able to talk them through the format, Im going to have to rationalise it in order to avoid any further confusion and/or time wasting.
We leave Santa Rosa with seven parental, one DoS and six teacher responses which is more than I had allowed for in my original plan. Gerardo conveniently arrived just as we were saying our goodbyes and we headed off in the direction of Poblado neighbourhood and the Providencia school for another meeting with the parents. Gerardo was walking his scooter for this leg of the trip and this seems to have attracted the attention of a couple of passing police officers. They pull us over and immediately start questioning Gerardo about the nature of this unlikely group (one local, one Swede and one Englishman carrying a raft of paperwork into Poblado 2). The officers themselves dont bother me, what Im more concerned about is my visa status. Whilst we have a perfectly reasonable set of explanations for our presence and even an authorising letter (from Jairo), I dont know if my tourist visa actually covers me to carry out research in Colombia. Added to that, I only have my Spanish residency card as proof of identity as opposed to the requisite passport. Whilst one officer performs the oligatory frisking, the other calls into base to make his checks. Whatever it was that passed between him and his radio, our man is satisfied that we are operating within the rules and allows us to continue on our way. I didnt think at any point that we were in any real trouble but no one wants to spend time in a Colombian police station answering trick questions in a foreign language. There was a deep and collective sigh of relief as we headed toward the Nuestra Senora de la Providencia private school.
Once the administrator of the institution had acknowledged our presence, she immediately conscripted all unsuspecting parents loitering outside of the premises. By the time we had finished, we had amassed 20 responses which is an excellent return for a relatively small school. Once again, the supplementary questionnaire proved to be unwieldy but with a little patience I think we got a reasonably intelligible response. One further question that will require resolution before drawing any conclusions is bias. Whilst I am delighted with 20 completions, the final results will lean towards individual institutions if response bias is not considered.
With Gerardo leading the way, we head toward the neighbourhoods of Los Lagos and Poblado2 to visit the small private institutions that remain on the list. Once again, the schools we visited were nothing if not welcoming, interested and supportive and whilst the investigation is going this well, Ill never tire of saying so. The outstanding institution from a personal perspective was the Richard Bach school, set in the heart of the neighbourhood and run by another remarkable lady, Diana. The school was named after the author of the inspirational short story, Jonathan Livingstone Seagull and started as nothing more than a wooden shack. Today its modern, colourful, welcoming building (see photo) and an inspiration in and of itself. Diana and her deputy designed the school and have managed its growth throughout the last 15 years which will soon include a third floor. As someone who spent nearly as much career time going to meetings and writing documents that no-one read, Im humbled by such an achievement. After the introductions and explanations, she takes us around the school and interrupts a couple of classes. The youngest children welcome us but are little confused by foreign faces. The older children have no such reservations and we are mobbed as we enter the playground, I even recognise some of the children from my weekend visit to the Leonors Foundation Autonoma. Before leaving I promise to return and do at least one English class for them, though I had better start organising my diary as I’ve now made this promise to a number of other institutions. Its gone 4 oclock and we still havent had lunch, so we cross the river and into a bustling market place in comuna 14. Over some oven-baked chicken, we discuss a plan for the following week which includes a rugby training session for the youngsters of the Juan Bosco foundation where Gerardo works. He thinks it would be a fantastic way for his charges to divest themselves of much pent up frustration, whilst I am just delighted to have the opportunity to return more than a few favours.

As you will by now have noted dear reader, life in Aguablanca is arduous and often very dangerous. Allowing for pockets of tranquility, the atmosphere here is a reflection of a collective psyche that seems forever dominated the very real fear of attack. Consequently, Joni and I are very much indebted to Gerardo, a local NGO worker who has given up much of his free time to guide us safely between the schools and the various neighbours in comuna 13. Without his support this particular investigation would have required 6 months rather than 2 and an inordinate number of taxi rides, assuming you could find a cabbie willing to entre Poblado2 et al. I hope that I am able to return his generosity sometime in the not to distant future.
Monday, and just as I was taking his presence for granted, Gerardo was unable to find the time to take us to the next selection of schools (mid-size private). In order to avoid any lost time, I went round to Jonis to plan the week and print off all the questionnaires for the remaining research period. If all are completed, I will have in excess of 200 questionnaires from assorted teachers, parents and DoS. This would have been beyond my greatest expectations before arrival and would represent a very large debt of gratitude to both Gerardo and Joni. It a bit of load though so I wonder if theyd mind taking it all back to Newcastle for me.
On Tuesday, Joni was busy for the entire morning so for the first time it would be just myself and Gerardo doing the work. I arrived early for our morning appointment at the Santa Rosa Private school in the neighbourhood of El Pondaje. As is the routine, the taxi driver asked me who I was and why I wanted to go to Aguablanca of all places and not for the first time I raised my camera and pretended to be an American tourist looking for a pretty wife. Disconcertingly, the drivers seem more interested in my taste in women than my personal safety. Still, if some stupid gringo is intent on looking for trouble, why should my cabbie ignore a half decent fare.
Its 8am and Im waiting for Geraldo in a cafe at the entrance to the El Pondaje neghbourhood. Whilst Im enjoying the coffee (Colombia is famous for it afterall), Im undeniably tense. The plan is to introduce myself and the research topic to 6 untested private schools today and without the support of Joni Im gonna have to concentrate really hard. Gerardo arrives at 8.30 and we take the short trip to Santa Rosa, a school we have previously visited although the DoS was too busy to entertain us at the time. Once again she greeted us warmly and thanks to Gerardos latin charm, agreed to give us a few minutes of her time. Fortunately, Maria is just one more example of the many friendly and totally comitted DoSs that I have had the pleasure to meet. We discussed the scope of the research, the broader work of Newcastle University and my first impressions of Colombia. She accepted the questionnaires without hesistation and invited us to return at 11.30am the following day to interview the parents as they collected their children. This was the opening round of an intense day of introductions, explanations, discussions and scheduling as we trekked around the communa in the midday sun between the various schools. Whilst I am of course a totally impartial investigator, what struck me most about these private institutions was the viseral feeling of positivity they exude, the precise phenomena my instruments are designed to measure. Most of these schools are colourful, light and airy places when compared to the somewhat forlorn appearance of the public equivilent; cinderellas to the big, ugly sisters if you will. However, it remains to be seen if the opinions of the teachers and the parents confirm this perception. We had completed the round by mid-afternoon, leaving questionnaires and/or making future appointments at each of the institutions, I even have at least 1 parents meeting at 6.30am for goodness sake. Isnt sleep every bit as important as education! Apart from that its been another successful day and only 5 schools remain outstanding from an original list of 20. None of this would realistically have been possible without the totally voluntary and invaluable assistance of Gerardo and I dedicate this entry to him.

I went to the yesterdays meeting for 2 principal reasons; firstly to get an understanding of the violence in the context of Aguablanca and secondly, to catch up with Leonor of the Fundacion Autonoma and invite myself to her school to meet the children. As I have already indicated in many entries, it is the way of Colombians to start the day very early though Leonor takes this characteristic to a different level entirely. I got up at 4.45am to meet her on the opposite side of town and I was still fighting the irritation and nausea as she described her own routine; rising at 3.30am six days a week and allowing herself the luxury of a lie-in on Sunday when she gets up at 4.30am. I only presumed this hour existed because it says so on the clock not because I have actually been around to witness it. By 6.00am most of the group have arrived and Im summoned to the classroom to meet them. Im greeted politely by around 30 teenagers dressed in pristine yellow tee-shirts and with small wooden crucifixes hanging around their necks. Ive never thought that crosses sat comfortably on the shoulders of rebellious teenagers and ordinarily this kind of overt religious symbolism would bother me but these are not ordinary circumstances and for many people their faith is all they have.

Leonor introduces me and Im asked to talk about my life and experiences. I dont have a stock answer to this question, one that I think would be meaningful to my audience anyway, so instead I invite the group to ask me some direct questions. After a few whats, whos and whys, Im asked to say something in English. Fortunately, I have some experience at this and instead reverse the process and teach one of the group how to introduce herself. We repeat sequential lines of a typical introduction and by the time shes told everyone who she is, her nationality and where she lives (all in a clipped home-counties accent) everyone is in fits of laughter.

The session then moved in different direction as Leonor takes control once more and directs a meditation session. Everyone is asked to relax, close their eyes and direct attention to their breathing. Once she had their complete attention, Leonor read extracts from the bible focussing on the principles of forgiveness, peace, self respect and happiness. This was not just a simple bible class along the lines of Sunday school but part of a premeditated pedagogy used to instill the positive virtues associated with Christian faith. All of these children come from poor homes, many of these children come from violent and abusive homes, some have even committed murder, for them the school may represent the only order and purpose in their entire world.

I had been under the notion that the day was organised for these young people but actually that was only part of the story. Leonor read through a roster and then we moved outside to find a 100 or so very young children waiting for their teachers (or maestros as the pedagogy refers to them). Tiny Leonor stepped up onto a table and led a round of songs with the same Christian themes and human values. Next the teenagers helped the children with their manualidades (practical activities) and in the design of their own song and dance routine for the parents. Throughout it all Leonor remained on stage directing proceedings and issuing points and penalties for behaviour, I thought it was just for effect but actually her assistant Marjory had been keeping score throughout the entire day. The atmosphere was energetic and enthusiastic, noisy and chaotic but above all the abiding feeling was one of love and kindness. To watch these children protect and care for one another in such place as Poblado 2 is intensely moving, it cant but leave an indelible mark on the soul and I loved every minute of it. After 6 inspiring hours, the parents departed with the youngsters but for the young maestros they still had to endure the Leonor review. The teenagers were asked to describe their experiences in terms of positives/negatives and identify what it is they think have learned from the day. During this session Leonor showed her tougher side, demanding respect for the speaker and meaningful answers from everybody. Whilst there was the occasional teenage sulk (inevitably resulting in a points deduction) this conclusion to the day represented an extremely important process of self awareness. The speakers are required to overcome their fear of public speaking and in the process develop confidence and a emotional language that promotes healthy self-expression as opposed to the repression of strong and potentially dangerous thoughts and feelings.

As I indicated previously, I am not the biggest fan of organised religion but that isnt to the exclusion of individual spirituality and faith. The message of Christ taps into a well of positive human values and is the corner stone of the foundations pedagogy. Now I dont know where the line between spirituality and dogma exists for this school and its all too easy to pour scorn on the perceived weaknesses of religion from the comfort of a middle class British suburb. However, if today has been any indication of its positive influence then I may just be a contextual convert. I asked if I could come back the following week on the precondition that I receive 100 bonus points for having to get up at such an unholy hour. Leonor laughed but I still had to settle for 75.

Wednesday. Its 6.00am and its pouring with rain but we have an appointment at the Humberto Public school and a further opportunity to take advantage of a parent/teacher meeting. By 7.15am myself and Joni are in Poblado2 and cradling cups of hot coffee waiting for our Geraldo who is coming on his scooter. Were not delayed for long but the poor guy is completely soaked. Hes been a real trooper thus far and the least I can do is offer him my condolences and a coffee. Not long after, we have arrived at Humberto and are talking to the DoS, a welcoming lady who remembers Joni from his own research period. Whilst we had already introduced ourselves to the school 2 days previously, her somewhat grumpy deputy hadnt passed on any information. We went through the routine once again and were quickly escorted to the first group of parents. Whilst we found our 5 volunteers, it was soon apparent that there were a few of literacy problems in this group so I chose to stay and help whilst Joni and Geraldo would continue the tour of the remaining classrooms. For most of the time I was assisting this big fella; thick set and tough looking character (in a Lawrence Fishburne kind of way). However, you should never judge people by their appearance as the big man was reduced to the level of a nervous child by his inability to read. I would ask him a question and he would then smile meekly as if he had no right to express his own point of view. It left me wondering how many other parents are hamstrung by illiteracy with neither the confidence nor the language to express their rights and concerns to higher authorities. Despite his apparent uncertainly however we had a laugh and he thanked us all for our efforts.

Whilst we waited for the parents to complete the questionnaires, I went on a quick tour of the building to chat to the ever inquisitive children and have a look at the facilities. As with all public institutions to date, the classrooms are clean and functional with tables, chairs and a blackboard. Can one expect anymore in such as environment? Maybe not but compared to Voluntad de Dios, these institutions look tired, old and a little sad, what could be acheived with a lick of paint and a few pictures on the walls, particularly in schools which are always brimming with artistic potential. In the overall scheme, it may seem like a trivial point but my investigations relate precisely to these issues of climate and too date at least, the private institutions appear far more welcoming and energetic.

As if to confirm the point, we visited Sur Oriental (mid size private) and its notably energetic DoS, Fernando. We chatted and he gave us a tour of the school. It had the feel and dimensions of a large home and whilst the classrooms were cramped, they were also bright and welcoming. The climate was viscerally more upbeat and positive than any public institutions, no matter how effective the DoS. We left Oriental with questionnaires for the DoS and his teachers and arranged to return on the 15th May for a scheduled parents meeting. We finished the day off with an introduction to the Pedro Morales Pino private institution. Once again the DoS was welcoming and helpful, though on this occasion the school did appear somewhat dark and on first impressions a little forbidding. To be fair to the school, the blinds were drawn to keep the place cool, so I will look forward to a future visit before making any judgments. One positive feature that I noted before leaving was a bank of computers provided for the children, a facility conspicuously absent in many of the other schools (private and public) in the comuna. Whilst there was the possibility of visiting Santa Rosa (private) later that afternoon, I am very conscious of the fact that Geraldo is working for me in his free time and I do not want to consume more of it than is absolutely necessary. So rather than hang around on the off chance of further progress, we agreed to call it a day and would get together again the following Monday.

For most of what remained of Wednesday and for the whole of Thursday, I sat at the computer and entered all the data we had received for the week which was dominated by the opinions of the parents. I have now acquired nearly 100 questionnaires from 3 public schools alone which pleases me no end and makes the task of data entry that little more bearable.

I have to be honest and admit that I was not very much looking forward to Friday and the second of the comuna 13 meetings on violence. This of course is no reflection on the theme itself which in terms of its social effects takes prominence over all others in Aguablanca, however the first meeting had been for the most part, a very dry political debate and the second was scheduled to last nearly 9 hours. Even before the meeting started Joni and myself had agreed to bail out at lunch time. Fortunately, someone had obviously thought very careful about the real purpose of the meeting and whilst the day was indeed long, we all had a lot of fun. Although I had met many of the participants at the previous meeting, there were a number of new faces, principal among them Diego a management consultant who would drive the proceedings. He was very entertaining character and had prepared a whole tranche of activities to help us get to know each other and build a coherent team, this included having to stand up and state precisely what skills or knowledge you think you bring to the party. Given the context this exercise in public relations is not easy to fulfil, even allowing for my Spanish which at this level is no more than passable, it is these people (qualifications or not) who are the experts, it is they that have the knowledge, the experience and the expertise at ground level. By comparison Im no more than a humble beginner who is here to learn. Add this humility to my teaching experience and an alternative point of view and I may have delivered an acceptable case. Fortunately, Colombians are nothing if not generous and if they were unconvinced by my monologue they certainly didnt show it.

Most of the day was spent playing games which included untying knots and building bridges, quite literally in this case. We would then have to describe the experience and extract the lessons in the context of the team, fairly standard stuff but it was lot of fun and I got to meet a lot of the important players in the comuna. The last few hours were the most tiring as we discussed the final version of the constitution and made arrangements for a very public signing ceremony which to my great disappointment will be performed a week after I return home. The meeting over, I headed in the direction of Roosevelt and 39th with Jorge, an environmentalist working in the comuna. As a consequence of the weather, we were forced to take shelter in a shopping centre and 4 hours later we were still talking. He was well travelled and totally committed to his work in poor communities, to the point where a few years back he very nearly entered the holy order as a priest. What changed his mind? He was based in Medellin, home to the most beautiful women in Latin America. Who could blame him, it would surely test the fortitude of a saint.

Tuesday. Although I had more than enough to be getting on with I spent most of the morning chatting to Ana Lucias cleaner, Lisbania. Considering the surgical cleanliness of the flat, Im surprised she can find enough work to do. However it pays relatively well, jobs are at a premium and whilst Ana Lu is convinced the place is filthy in perpetuity (if not in reality) she will always be required. This is only the second time I have met Liz but she is a very cheerful and friendly person which considering her story is no mean feat. You see despite her youth (30 years old) she has already been widowed twice. The first husband was the victim of a motorcycle accident and her second husband (who in a morbid irony bought the motorbike) was shot dead not 2 months ago. Now look me in the eye and tell me you wouldnt be paranoid if you were in her flip flops.

By coincidence, she lives very near to the El Diamante school in Aguablanca and is convinced she knows our guide Geraldo. We talk about education in the area and which school her children attend. She tells me that they all go to a state school (technical skills as opposed to commercial), though her preference would be a private institution as she believes it offers higher quality. I ask her if she is aware of the PAC programme that offers goverment subsides to select private schools and therefore concessionary/free places to a given number of poor children. Interestingly, she hasnt the slighest awareness of the school mix in Aguablanca or the potential of a private education for her children. We have a look at the comuna 13 school records on my PC and I point out the relevant institutions and potential opportunities in her environs. Ignorance is probably as bigger hurdle to opportunity as availability in poor areas. I hope she gets lucky as few people probably deserve it more.

We were due to meet Geraldo in the El Poblado neighbourhood at 2.30pm, however I trashed that by mentioning to Joni how pain free the whole research process had been to date. Needlesstosay, that was trigger for a spot of bad luck as Geraldo arrived nearly an hour late due to brake problems with his scooter. It was closing in on 4pm as we headed in the direction of couple of private institutions in the Poblado2 neighbourhood, known for being a particularly sensitive area. The bad luck continued as first the DoS of Instituto Comercial Santa Rosa (private)declined our overtures (too busy at this time) and secondly Liceo Pedagogica Sur Oriental (private) was closed for the afternoon. Beyond them both and deep into bandit territory (as Geraldo quaintly described it) was a large public institution also called Santa Rosa (though no relation). Outside were numerous parents who as security informed us were attending a parents meeting, a second great smash and grab opportunity in the mould of Luz Haydee was presenting itself though much would depend on our timing and the attitude of the DoS. As luck would have it, our host and DoS was Victor who we met at the Community Violence debate a few weeks previously. It was Victor who so candidly contextualised dry politics in terms of the daily tragedies on the Aguablanca streets. Fortunately, he is by no means all talk and received us efficiently and courteously despite the stress of the meeting. We quickly briefed him on the scope of our research (which we can now describe on auto-pilot) before he disappeared to greet his audience, meanwhile we waited in the office for his return. Joni, Geraldo and myself had been chatting for about 20 mins when we suddenly became aware that Victor was introducing us to the crowd and what a crowd it had become. As we stepped beyond the office threshold it became apparent that over 200 parents had come to the meeting, obliged as they are to attend. Victor invited me to speak and whilst I feel my Spanish has improved Im no Miguel Cervantes, so I put in a sidestep and threw a languid hospital pass to my partner. Fortunately, Joni is a true trooper, not to mention an outrageous lingistic (5 languages at the last count) carrying it off with great aplomb and receiving a big round of applause for his troubles. We asked the parents to spare a little time after their teachers meeting to complete the questionnaires and it just remained for us to organise an appropriate situ. At this moment, we all paused to consider the full breadth of opportunity. With Luz Haydee just around the corner, we could drop off the teacher and DoS questionnaires and complete that set having already carried out the parents session. Whilst I remained at Santa Rosa to greet the parents post-teacher meeting, it was agreed that Joni and Geraldo would headed off to LuzH with the requisite documents and return asap. It so happened that minutes after their departure, numerous parents and their children were already departing requiring it seems little teacher reassurance. In the absence of any official recognition I grabbed a table and a few available chairs, offering them to a number of willing interviewees and quite a few unwilling ones. Forty minutes into the process and things were turning a little chaotic, whilst I had 5 or 6 parents safety seated I had found myself tied to a semi-literate women who obviously needed plenty of assistance. However, whilst I was so occupied I wasnt able to give the essential prompt to other parents who were drifting closer to the exit. Just as I was preparing to cut the ambilical, Joni and Geraldo came to the rescue once again. In total we snared 29 parents and could have had many more had I not run out of questionnaires. One notable individual was a tiny, displaced indigenous woman with the worries of the world on her shoulders. She was so intent on understanding the scope of our work in Agaublanca and how it might help her community. Its clear that displacement as well as violence are significant inter-related factors that effect society and consequently education in this area.

I would have appreciated a few minutes more with her but both Joni and Geraldo were getting concerned about the time, it was long after dark and we were in Poblado2, renown above all neighbourhoods. I gathered up all the paperwork and as we waved a hasty goodbye Geraldo looked around for the nearest and safest escape route, one with plenty people even if the light was in short supply. We crossed the central plaza and around a few children playing basketball. I felt reassured by their presence but as Geraldo told me later, its not the locals who have anything to fear. Whilst I could see the bright lights of a major throughfare there no way through but for one of the dark, narrow and sinister streets, Geraldo picked the most populous and we followed meekly and rapidly behind him. Whilst we kept our heads down to avoid eye contact, youre are aware of being sized up by everyone you pass and even though we reached the main street in short shrift, Geraldo kept up the pace until we were safely esconsed in a cab. Once out of Poblado2 he spoke of the group of bandits he noticed, the strong smell of hash and the fact that no questions are asked here, if these guys want something youll probably end up on the slab before a word is even uttered. No time for photos then.

After a day like that you deserve a beer or two and lo it came to pass…….

Having acquired so many completed questionnaires from Luz Haydee, Thursday and Friday of last week was spent entering the data into Excel. Whilst the data forms the basis for the entire research project, the actual entry process is boring, repetitive and extremely time consuming. I had considered giving the job to a local business but I simply dont trust them or anyone else to do it properly. In addition to the data entry, I have started my mini research project investigating philanthropy and the role that donors play in education within comuna 13 (see map). At this stage, it appears that most donations are managed by local foundations and NGO’s and I have uncovered a number of papers related to large institutions in the Cali area. As indicated previously, I have developed an measuring instrument for deriving a basic profile of philanthropy and have integrated it into my Climate model, so whilst Ive been able to describe the contextual setting, I’ll have to wait for the DoS responses before drawing any kind of conclusion.

On Saturday I met up with Teresita, the PhD student from the Autonoma University that I met during Joni thesis presentation a couple of weeks back. She is married to an Irish fella, Trevor and thought we would get on really well, so I was very much looking forward to the study break. Its clear that Teresita is a very good judge of character, as we had plenty in common (particularly travel and rugby) and rabbited on for most of the night. I was also introduced to their baby daughter Sarah, who somewhat amusingly has not a single physical traits in common with her dark, Colombian mother. Sarah is a green-eyed, pale skinned, redhead and the centre of attention whenever theyre out shopping. T&T have built their own house on the edge of the city with Condors flying overhead and sensational, uninterupted views of the jungle. However after a gut full of red wine, it represented an impenetrable barrier to my journey home, being potentially more dangerous than Aguablanca. The following afternoon and with a raging hangover, I made it back to the centre of town just in time to meet Ana Lucia who reminded me that we were going to an International Dance Festival that evening. Naturally I acknowledged the reminder as if a night on the tiles was perfect preparation for an evening of culture. Im really enjoying the intensity of the Cali experience but Im definitely beginning to flag and I havent even reached half way.

Monday morning. Geraldo was busy and delayed our meet until the afternoon. I caught up with Joni at 10am at his place to discuss our plan for the week. In view of the success of the pilot study and the absence of critical comments, I decided that it would be a good idea to print out a large portion of the questionnaires (60 for the parents and 20 for the teachers). It seemed to me that based on a up to date teacher list, we could potentially perform a random sample at each institution and present the DoS with the documents then and there, saving the need for multiple visits. We first visited El Diamante to retrieve the Director of Studies (DoS) and teacher questionnaires we had deposited the previous week. Whilst on that occasion he appeared distant and somewhat negative, the weekend break had obviously done him the world of good as he presented us with a number (though not all) of the requisite papers. He talked us through the results and whilst I was grateful for his input, I was somewhat concerned about his potential influence on the teachers. Whilst the DoS is aware of the anonymity requirement, I have yet to meet any of the teachers directly, as the DoS insists on passing the papers onto the teachers themselves. Under such circumstances, it will be essential to check the variety of answers given by the teachers, whether they are critical of the school to any degree and more importantly, how their views compare with those of the parents. One further interesting aspect is that despite being a public school, El Diamante receives funds from 3 seperate foundations, paying for roughly 7% of the places for poor children. My initial interpretation of this funding arrangement is that the state appears to be sidestepping its constitution obligations, however Ill have to follow it up with the DoS to get his point of view. Despite these funds a quick inspection of the teachers questionnaires suggests that lack of resource is the principle issue at this particular school.

In yet another successful afternoon, we are able to visit numerous large institutions including El Poblado (private), Humberto (Public) and Loboguerrero (Public). At each school, the DoS allowed us to view the teacher list and leave a number of questionnaires based on a (on-the-spot) random sample. Each DoS was also amenable to the idea that we attend the next parents meeting with the aim of undertaking a one-stop questionnaire session. We exchanged phone numbers and dates for future reference. The only problem we encountered today was the lack of access to La Florida and a further chat with Rigoberto at the Voluntad de Dios. Our way was blocked by police who were apparently engaged in a fierce exchanges with recently arrived displazados (displaced people). No worries officer, we can do it some other time.

Wednesday. Before returning to Aguablanca that afternoon I headed for a local internet cafe on Roosevelt, I had promised the children paper copies of their photographs and I was determined not to disappoint them. Myself and Joni met up with Geraldo in order to completely our first task, collecting the pilot study questionniares left with the Director of El Diamante. Before leaving Newcastle, Pauline had warned us of the significance of contingency as research programmes simply never go to plan. This was the first opportunity for a director to deliver and needlesstosay he wasnt available. We found his secretary but of course she hadnt been told anything, so we left El Diamante empty handed on this occasion but promised to return before the weekend.
Of course there was plenty to be getting on with in the meantime and having looked over the list of selected schools Geraldo led the grand tour of communa 13. First up was a large private school, Al Poblado (see photo). The school itself was located in a more built up area and as I took some photos the children waved at me from the playground, situated by necessity on the roof. Once again the Director was unavailable, so we simply took the opportunity to leave the introductory letters from Jairo and Sugata (as my mentor) and promised to return in quick time. The next school on the list was a large public school Luz Haydee, the location for the Jefe de Nucleo meeting of the previous week. As seemed to be the way this day, the Director was just leaving as we approached the school, however this time the outcome was to be notably different. This Director of Studies had been present at Jairos meeting and therefore was already aware of our presence and the scope of the study. Whilst he couldnt help us personally, he said that there was a teacher/parent meeting at the school in an hour and that we were more than welcome to question any of the attendees/volunteers. This was an unexpected opportunity not to be wasted however, I only had a digital version of the parents questionnaire on a memory stick. Thinking quickly, Geraldo took us to an internet cafe and we printed out 30 copies of the document and bought 30 pencils to match. Before heading back to Luz Haydee, we returned to Voluntad de Dios to pick up the pilot study documents of the previous day and to drop off copies of the photos. Whilst Rigoberto himself was unavailable he had left the completed teachers questionnaires for me to collect, my first real success. In addition, the class of children I had photographed the previous day were in the same location. Im not sure how the schedule works at this time of day but the class was in total bedlam, even more so when I handed copies of the photos to the class supervisor (who was overseeing rather than teaching the class). She was obviously more experienced than she looked and wisely used the bait to bring the children to heel; sit down quietly or no photo. We thanked the teachers for their cooperation and headed back to Luz Haydee.
On arrival, we met with the Deputy Director who explained that all of the parents and children were currently meeting the teachers in their respective classrooms but that he would be prepared to present the study to each group and ask for volunteers. As it happened his speech to the respective groups was spot on and whilst it was a little uncomfortable to be repeatedly presented a foriegn exhibit, it did the trick and we were able to extract more than 20 willing parents. Once they had completed their meeting with the teachers, our volunteers duly appeared at the Sala de Estudios and quietly completed the questionnaire.
Before departure Joni suggested that we explain to the parents the scope and broader context of our work in Cali, I agreed and volunteered him to start the ball rolling. Whilst I hardly expected to be received as the returning messiah, one or two parents saw our invitation as an opportunity to air a few very personal grievances about the school and the education system in general. A teacher was present but he chose to ignore the conversation and left us to fend for ourselves. Of course, we werent there to represent or defend the school and the subject of a childs education is no less emotive a theme here than anywhere else. All things said and done I think we handled it pretty well, though I suspect positive solutions to many of their issues (particularly school and neighbourhood security) are not going to arrive anytime soon. Happily at least one of parents approached and thanked both of us for at least being there and trying to improve the lives of their children.
It had been a long, dusty, hot afternoon in the Colombian sun, matched by a raft of intense incident and experience. By the time I got home that evening I was completely done in. To finish the day, myself and Camilo (Lucias friend) went onto the street to find a bite to eat. Of course the conversation revolved around my experiences in Aguablanca as neither he nor Lucia have ever visited the district. He indicated that while the situation is very sad, the actions of the government always lag behind those of the inhabitants. He predicted that within 10 years La Florida will have been formally absorbed into the surrounding community, facilites and services will be connected and life will improve. Numerous other new slums will appear in the meantime but thats the nature of things and life for many was little better in the country. Our discussion expanded to include themes such as wealth inequalities and violence in the context of Colombian culture. He mentioned on a number of symbolic moments from history, touchstones in the national psyche and recommended a book that is standard in the national curricula – Las Venas Abiertas de America Latina (The Open Veins of Latin America). Significant contextual material for the thesis me thinks.

Yesterday Monday, I went over to Jonis apartment to discuss the plan of action for the coming week. Thanks to the local council, I had already compiled a list of prospective schools (primary and secondary) within the public and private sectors in communa 13. What was most notable was that all the public institutions were at least twice the size of the private equivalent; public all in excess of 1000 students, large private, no greater than 500. Whilst a more precise (like for like) comparison would have been preferred it wont not be possible therefore, I have decided to compare a selection of the large schools and add a selection of medium and small private to the list. A list totalling 23 schools was derived however in view of tight timescales, I have to develop a prioritised order based on a random sample. Having derived this sample, I could then work on a schedule and an entry strategy.
First the good news, after years of diligent study followed by a very good thesis, Joni has been awarded his masters degree. As if anticipating the good news, his prospective mother in law has brought him yet another attractive life partner with a great line in conversation; no, not Letycias sister but a parrot. Some might say that its not the most practical of gifts however we immediately found a use for it; his new pet was to be given the onerous duty of deriving a sampling order. We allocated numbers to each school, wrote them on a piece of paper and the parrot pecked at his preferences (photo to follow). Could you possibly be more random.
As we plotted the schools on a map, Joni congratulated the parrot on his selection, the priority schools being widely spread across the communa and often slap bang on neighbourhood boundaries. Whilst we now had names and addresses it would be up to Geraldo, our guide in Aguablanca to decide the best possible route. Next, I prepared a letter for the Jefe de Nucleo (Jairo) to sign, acknowledging our official presence in the area and requesting the support of each of the school directors. We made arrangements to meet up with both Geraldo and Jairo the following day in order to complete these tasks. Finally, the entry strategy. Myself and Joni agreed that it would be a good idea to dedicate this week to a short pilot study focussed on El Diamante (a large public school and Jairos base). Whilst this task was in progress, we would take a tour of the area and introduce ourselves to all the remaining schools on the list. With Jonis assistance, I would inform each director of the scope of the study, provide a description of the broader context and issue a commitment to follow up this research in the future.
Today, we met up with Geraldo as agreed outside of El Diamante and went in search of Jairo. Although he was elsewhere, the School Director was in his office and was happy to meet with us. Whilst polite and cordial, our man was a distant kind of chap with a certain mistrust of research (you get your qualification, then what!!). I was relieved that I had considered an entry strategy, not just to convince him of the worth of my own work but also to indicate its complimentary nature (with Jonis study) and its significance in terms of the greater body of research compiled by Newcastle Uni. Despite the carefully considered response, I think it was the fact that Joni was engaged to a Colombian that really convinced him of our commitment. For a moment, it seemed he was gonna demand the same from me. Finally, he accepted the set of questionnaires and asked us to return the following afternoon.
In the context of the pilot study, Geraldo suggested that we also visit a private school as a means of additional material review. We walked toward the neighbourhood of La Florida and from 100 yards away you could see an abrupt the change of scenery. Gone were the permanent brick structures to be replaced by the vulnerable wooden shacks of the extreme poor, many on stilts to avoid risk of flooding as the rain here often resembles a monsoon.
The director studies at the Fundacion Voluntad de Dios (the Will of God) was unavailable, so Geraldo suggested we take a stroll around the neighbourhood. Any previous thoughts regarding Aguablancas status as a slum have Im afraid to say, been completely dispelled. There is no regular fresh running water here, its hot and humid, dust fills the air and the smell of rotting garbage is everpresent. Whilst this is not my first time in a slum it always comes as a shock, not just the desperate nature of the surroundings but the fact that life is so radically different at the opposite end of the street (nevermind at the junction of Roosevelt and 39th). It is any wonder that these marginal zones (a euphemistic, official designation) are breeding grounds for violence and discontent. And yet for all the poverty, every single person we came across welcomed us, particularly the children who in this case were simply desperate for a hug from Geraldo and a photo opportunity. It was all very touching and I think you’ll agree that the results are really beautiful.

In sad contrast, we next met la abuela (the grandmother) whose facial features had been eaten away by some untreated illness and her whole body was painfully disfigured and contorted yet for all all her pain there was no hint of shame or bitterness, none whatsoever. I dont want to eulogise these people, turning them into heroic myths of the slum based on a few weeks of research simply trivialises and demeans them. However, most of these people have been displaced from their rural homes as a consequence of political and drug related crime, they understand the context in which theyre obliged to live/survive and the standards of living enjoyed by other people. Yet the majority appear to cope with admirable strength and stoicism. Thats just how I see it.
Just as we completed the loop of La Florida, the school director pulled up in front of his school. Whilst I wont be drawn towards any early conclusions regarding public/private education, the difference between the vaguely autocratic nature of the public director (who didnt even reveal his identity) and Sr Rigiberto Tique could not have been more stark. Rigoberto was similar in nature to Leonora, the foundation director I wrote about last week. There was nothing defensive about him, just a quiet, strong and diligent man who has dedicated his life to the local children and in particular this school. He showed us a DVD recording of the institution 10 years ago, at which point it was nothing more than a large wooden shack, no different to the surrounding structures, the kitchen was a couple of pots on open fire and the school population was less than 20. Now, thanks to the support of a Dutch foundation there is a clean, modern, permanant brick structure educating and feeding more than 300 students. Its a remarkable achievement in any context but in La Florida its little short of a miracle (or the will of God). We go through the introduction routine once again but unlike the previous director, Rigoberto was very supportive of our efforts to make a difference, no matter how small it may be. As the conversation drew to a close, Rigoberto accepted the climate questionnaires without fuss and asked us to return the following day to collect them.
We say goodbye to the staff and head back to the main road. Some of children run up and give us a big smile and a hug before we leave. If I had anything to do with it, I would oblige every single 18 year old in the west to spend one summer doing voluntary work in Aguablanca and similar places around the world, it would change their perspective for good (morally and permanently).

Once Geraldo had got a handle on research and the schools I wanted to assess, he suggested a visiting schedule for the following day. One significant point that he rasied was the difficulty of obtaining a parental perspective on climate based on a questionnaire delivered by their children, Geraldo believed that the majority would simply ignore it. Instead, he suggested that the director of studies invite a random sample of parents to the school in order to complete the survey, then and there. So in addition to the introductory presentation, I need to obtain a lists of parents and teachers in order to derive a credible research sample. That parrots gonna be real busy over the coming week.

Friday once again and Ive already been here for 3 weeks. The programme shifted into another gear today as Joni and myself arrive in Aguablanca for the monthly communa 13 meeting at the invitation of Jairo Anzulo. This time though we passed by the poorest and most desperate part of the neighbourhood. People displaced from their homes, often by the terror tactics of paramilitaries arrive here on a daily basis and there are no social services waiting for them. These outcastes live under what ever shelter they can find, scraps of wood and a few sheets of tarpaulin is about as good as it gets. Its grinding poverty and most find themselves here though no fault of their own. Very, very sad.
We arrive relatively early and as usual have to be positively identifed before we are permitted past the barrier. Were met by Jairo and a few of the local school representatives. Whilst we wait for the meeting to begin, we take a quick stroll through the school which is oriented around a pristine basketball court. The classrooms are sparse but clean and functional being equipped with chairs, tables and a blackboard. This is a public school and whilst most people have condemned them they are, on first impressions alone alot better than Id anticipated.
The meeting commenced about 15 mins later, which in Latino time is early, if you know what I mean. Jairo started the meeting with Joni and myself first of the agenda. By this stage 30+ school representatives had arrived and whilst Id prepared a very general presentation, I was a little nervous. Fortunately, Joni was there to get the ball rolling, many of the attendees recognised him and his Spanish is more than good enough to settle the crowd.
This is the first time that I have had to stand up in front of an audience and communicate in a language that is not my own. Whilst I was comfortable with the material, its strange how a certain lack of fluency effects your perception. The ordeal over, I continued to ask myself exactly what it was Id just said and more importantly did everyone understand it. For all that, I wasnt bombarded with (but I dont understand type) questions, I wasnt heckled and I think I said everything I intended to say with only a couple of prompts from Joni. Having finished, another guy got up to talk about whatever but needless to say I was already away on an adrenaline rush. It took community leader Hernan to bring me back to reality with a couple of films documenting his activities with local schools. The first film was made by an local youngster who clearly had a talent for painting but no-one to help him express that latent ability, no-one that is until Hernan came along. The second film was a festival of indigenous culture as the children learned to dance red indian style before being painted and performing a day long procession through the neighbourhood. So many happy young faces, so much joy despite everything, it makes you feel very humble indeed and the memories wont be lost as Hernan gave everyone a CD to inspire them. There will no doubt be difficult times ahead but these kinds of images are what gets you through the day. I really look forward to showing you all when I get back.
This was going to be an all day affair so we made our excuses and a quick exit but not before Id had a quick chat to a couple of the attendees. Jenny, a secretary at a private nursery was particularly interested in the project so we exchanged numbers and I promised to keep her updated.
The next appointment couldn’t have represented more of a contrast. During Jonis research period he was allocated a personal chaparone, Geraldo, a local NGO worker with a lot of experience in Aguablanca. It was his birthday and an opportune moment for us to meet and get to know one another. Naturally, the whole thing got decidedly messy as consecutive bottles of Aguadiente or White Teeth (the local version of Anis) were ordered. I hate anis but it was his birthday, he seemed like a nice guy and he has a really important role to play. So I took one for the team and shot the poison until 2 in morning. Before Id even hit fresh air my world was spinning and by then you know the next 24 hours are all but written off.