Anti-poverty improving health care or the education system, or simply building infrastructure and low-cost housing for people living below the poverty line. The World Bank reports that 19.6 million (or roughly 39.3%) of the Colombian population lives below the national poverty line. 

This shows the importance of the nonprofit organizations working within the country; they contribute heavily to improving the Colombian way of life. Here are five charities operating in Colombia.

5 Anti-Poverty Charities Operating in Colombia

1. Fundación OCMAES – The OCMAES foundation is a nonprofit working to improve academic standards and encourage academic pursuits domestically in Colombia. The organization operates on the principle that a “positive transformation of a country” is simply impossible without education; in its eyes, it is the key to breaking inequality. It helps realize this by offering renewable scholarships every six months and maintaining academic agreements with a host of universities and educational institutions within Colombia, including Rosario University and the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana Bogotá. 
2. Fundación Juanfe – “La Juanfe” is an organization working towards the betterment of children in many different parts of the Spanish-speaking world. In Colombia, it operates in the city of Cartagena. Primarily a health care organizer, the organization provides therapeutic care for young mothers and others below the poverty line. In 2023, it renewed its Inspira de la Juanfe program, a collaborative effort with JCT4 Education focused on teaching young individuals the power of social entrepreneurship and encouraging a passion for improving their communities. 
3. Fundación Barco – The Fundación Antonio Restrepo Barco is an organization focused on those living in crisis areas. The foundation operates with the idea that those living in these areas are far more susceptible to social and poverty shortcomings. It operates directly with the government and international donors and maintains an investment portfolio to remain sustainable in the region. It helps to bring projects related to education, regional development and health care benefits to fruition. In the last year, it has been able to provide benefits to 48,816 students and to 286 individual educational institutions. 
4. Fundación Niños de los Andes – The Children of the Andes Foundation is an organization dedicated to protecting the rights of children, especially those living on the streets and those living below the poverty line. The organization operates programs in five boarding schools hosting more than 1,510 children a year and provides direct access to educational and health care-related services in the region. It strives to impart to children that they have rights as citizens, and encourages them in their social, physical and mental development as they mature. 
5. Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia (FNC) – An organization dedicated to improving the standard of life for rural Colombian coffee farmers, FNC institutes export standards and helps optimize production costs in the region. Beyond being apolitical and operating entirely as a nonprofit entity, the organization is also notable for being one of the largest rural non-governmental organizations in the world. 

Looking Ahead

The above anti-poverty charities operating in Colombia have all worked to eliminate poverty in numerous ways. Through their continued work, one can expect to see further improvements in education access, health care and more in Colombia.

– Marc Federici
Photo: Flickr