Colombia: Colombia En Hechos 2

There is no danger of forgetting the 'urban' part of the 'urban agriculture workshop'.  It is being held by Colombia En Hechos (CEH) at their headquarters, squeezed rudely close beside a six-lane artery in the the middle of sprawling Bogota.  The honks and grunts of irate motorists fade into the background, though, in the pleasantly colourful restaurant with its adjoining organic veg store.  Soon Margarita Olarte Zethelius is showing us how to make plant trays from two litre coke bottles and fold seed envelopes from sheets of paper.  It doesn´t seem like world-changing stuff.  Yet later, outside on the sidewalk, as the group builds tyre grow-beds and suspended sausage planters we attract plenty of attention from passers by, and coaxing a tiny strip of living space from between concrete and brick sounds a note of heroic optimism that perhaps is heard somewhere through Bogota´s choking streets.

Such optimism is clearly one of Margarita´s strengths and I can feel her positivity energize the room when she enters.  Pretty, with dark hair and freckles, she explains how Colombia En Hechos got started.  She and her now husband Nicolas had been biology students.  During research trips,  immersed in Colombia's amazing natural riches, they began to wonder how they could make an impact socially to help with wildlife conservation.  So they started to put on plays and produce educational material, for both village communities and city schools.  They were clearly good at it and soon large wildlife NGOs such as Conservation International wanted to work with them - "Start a formal organisation" they urged.  Having, understandably in hindsight, been refused the right to register 'Hecho en Colombia' ('Made in Colombia'), 'Colombia En Hechos' was born, which translates roughly as Colombia In The Making.  And this before either of them even graduated.

Primarily a conservation organisation, CEH uses a multi-disciplinary approach to environmental education, trying to increase communities' understanding and value of the natural world and equip them with sustainable alternatives.  Their major project is "Pandora Ecologica", a touring education display based on didactic games they have developed.  This grew out of their first paid work on the Rosario Islands off Colombia's Caribbean coast.  Since this they have connected with the ecovillage network and expanded their their remit to include permaculture teaching and consultancy.

Margarita explained their methodology for community work.  First they identify three things: (1) where they are working, mapping the area; (2) the needs of the community and various stakeholders, digging down from perhaps initial responses such as ´more money´ to find the real requirements such clean water, good food, security of income; and (3) resources available to the community.  While it is often a single endangered species, such the sea turtle, that sets the context, CEH always approaches with this holistic schema.  Then they may help the community to write up a 'Conservation Agreements', for protection of the wildlife, in exchange for training and support in sustainable living: permaculture food production, clean water provision etc.  It can be tough going. "At times people look at the Blackberry and laptop and think ´look at her making lots of money´" says Margarita, "but I need these for my work and they are not me.  You work with your heart in a community and soon they are growing carrots and coriander where it was practically a desert before and people are grateful because you have helped to show them an alternative."

Margarita and Nicolas have evolved from scientists to storytellers.  They will use every creative tool they can find to engage people in the wonder of nature, engender a desire to protect it (and therefore themselves) and help them to do this.  "One of the most important things we can all do is tell the stories of people that are living well and doing good things, that will make a wave of hope." she says.  This sensitivity to the power of our collective narrative makes Margarita wary of climate change, in a way that I find a little shocking to hear from a biologist.  "I think its a very dangerous weapon." she says.  "We can use it now because people are afraid.  And that´s really sad because it´s like war: 'I´m afraid so I´m going to do something'.  But it´s not really an evolution of human beings."

Here is the story that drives this biologist and storyteller; the more positive tale of human life evolving to a higher level of consciousness, of finally developing an ecological sensitivity, an appreciation of our place within an awesome web of life.  "Maybe I am mystical, but it is about human evolution." she says. "Life will go on without humans, or perhaps we can use our technology and build huge greenhouses and survive.  But, when you see the connection that we can have with nature, when you see evolution and you see how a flower evolves with a bee... that´s much more interesting".

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Name: Colombia En Hechos
Description: environmental education charity
Founded: 2000
Founders: Margarita Olarte Zethelius
Current Members: founders plus employees on project by project basis
Land: headquarters in Bogota; Reserva Marimonte; Reserva Fallín 
Food output: n/a 
Other ouput: n/a 
Activities: consultancy, educational workshops, community education projects 
Income sources: workshops, small restaurant and vegetable shop at headquarters, consultancy, educational outreach paid for by charities or government.