The FC Barcelona Foundation and Gran Tierra Energy project, which is being implemented by NGO World Vision, aims to impact, annually, more than 700 vulnerable girls, boys and adolescents in Puerto Asís, Mocoa, Villa Garzón and Orito (Putumayo) and San Martín (Cesar), places where young people are affected by the armed conflict, violent environments and high social vulnerability. 

“BUILDING PROTECTIVE ENVIRONMENTS FOR CHILDREN” is the new project that the FC Barcelona Foundation and Gran Tierra Energy have initiated in the municipalities of Puerto Asís, Mocoa, Villa Garzón and Orito (Putumayo) and the municipality of San Martín (Cesar) in collaboration with World Vision. 

The objective is to have an impact on the lives of a total of 1,484 girls, boys and adolescents from various educational institutions, over two years. To do so, technical and educational personnel will be trained in different strategies – sports, cooperative play and protection with tenderness, to create a safe and good treatment environments for these children.  

The development of the project will work in coordination with local entities, education secretariats, educational institutions, community leaders and local social organisations. One of the objectives is to leave an established structure in the communities in which the girls, boys and adolescents will participate directly.

The FC Barcelona Foundation will implement its own SportNet socio-educational methodology in these communities. This methodology uses physical activity and sport as a tool to improve the quality of life and emotional well-being of vulnerable girls, boys and adolescents. SportNet promotes the values of FC Barcelona such as effort, respect, teamwork, humility and ambition through game dynamics and physical activity. In this sense, within the framework of the project, two seminars have been held to kick off the project, in which some 40 people have been trained, that are teachers and community leaders who will implement the methodology in their educational institutions.

In addition, the project includes workshops with girls, boys and adolescents to promote protective environments, conflict resolution and self-care; training for mothers, fathers and community groups in the World Vision Nurturing Parent model, to strengthen child protection skills; the provision of mental health and psychosocial support for girls and boys affected by any type of violence and their families; initiatives to generate action circuits for reporting and support in cases of violence; and awareness and communication campaigns to prevent any form of violence.

Since 2019, the FC Barcelona Foundation and Gran Tierra Energy have worked together in an alliance to contribute to strengthening protective environments for girls, boys and adolescents through sports and to prevent risk factors associated with recruitment, child labour, violence, and drug use in the territories where Gran Tierra operates. Similarly, World Vision and the FC Barcelona Foundation are undertaking joint projects in countries such as Peru. 

Puerto Asís, Mocoa, Villa Garzón and Orito are located in the department of Putumayo, which for many years has been the scene of confrontations between illegal armed groups, both in its rural and urban areas, which has caused Human Rights abuses and violations of International Humanitarian Law, causing displacements, threats, homicides and the recruitment of minors, among others.

For its part, San Martín is in the department of César and the most important challenges are associated with the prevention of damage and care for the environment, the promotion of social services in education, health, protection and job creation.