Edmílson, former FC Barcelona player and Legend, visits project driven by the Barça Foundation and Gran Tierra Energy in Colombia

Former FC Barcelona player and Legend José Edmílson Gomes de Moraes, better known as Edmílson, visited the project being carried out by the Barça Foundation, Gran Tierra Energy and the NGO World Vision Colombia in the administrative departments of Putumayo and San Martín (César), two regions whose children and young people are particularly impacted by armed conflict, violent surroundings and high levels of social vulnerability.

This phase of the project began in 2023 and this month’s visit by Edmílson gave him the opportunity to attend three festivals held in the project’s different locations. Also participating were Dr. Ernesto Lucena, who was representing Colombia’s Department for the Protection of Citizens’ Rights, and two ambassadors: former Colombia national-team player Faryd Mondragón and Olympic medal-winning BMX rider Carlos Oquendo. Over the course of these encounters, the visitors were able to enjoy playing games with the children, as well as sharing personal experiences and insights into their lives as elite sportspeople, encouraging those in attendance with a message of peace, hope and overcoming adversity.

 

Nearly 1,500 children reached in two years

The joint FC Barcelona Foundation and Gran Tierra Energy project, implemented by the NGO World Vision, works with school-age girls, boys and young people across a total of nine educational institutions in Puerto Asís and Villagarzón (Putumayo) and San Martín (César), places where children and youths are affected by armed conflict, being surrounded by violence and high levels of social vulnerability.

As part of the program, actions taken into account include promoting the use of protective spaces for children, as well as providing tools for detection and early intervention in cases of violence. One of the program’s main pillars involves holding sessions using the Barça Foundation’s SportNet methodology within the schools’ curricular framework, as well as workshops aimed at training mothers, fathers and community leaders in World Vision’s Crianza Con Ternura (Parenting with Tenderness) model. The goal of this backing is to supply resources and guidance that boost child safeguarding skills, supplemented by the provision of psychosocial support for children who are victims of any form of violence, and at the same time creating action protocols for reporting and managing cases of infringements of children’s rights. 
 

Edmílson, former FC Barcelona player 

“Through their socio-sporting methodology SportNet, in this project the FC Barcelona Foundation provides support that improves those life skills which enable children living in such vulnerable situations to receive protection and psychosocial backing.”

Diego Pérez-Claramunt, vice-president for HSE (Health, Safety and Environment) and Corporate Social Responsibility at Gran Tierra Energy

“Respect for and protection of human rights is one of Gran Tierra Energy’s essential priorities and at the heart of the company can be found a fundamental philosophy: the company’s presence must help in improving, promoting and respecting the human rights of the people close to its operations. This starting point enables the company to focus on risk prevention from a human-rights perspective.”

Peter Gape, director of World Vision Colombia 

“Our objective is to continue contributing towards the protection of girls, boys and adolescents in the most vulnerable communities. We’re committed and we keep working day in day out so that children, young people and their families know about and have access to the Crianza Con Ternura tools and guidelines.”