Children Beyond Our Borders

Children Beyond Our Borders (CBOB) is a non-profit organization based in Gainesville, Florida, USA. It's mission is to provide opportunities for children and youth affected by armed conflict and social injustice to find peace, prosperity, and well being through education and empowerment. The organization is currently working with children and youth in Colombia, in the cities of Medellin and Cartagena. CBOB was created with two distinct objectives in mind. First was to provide educational tools to empower displaced children in Latin America to succeed and second, to create awareness of the social injustices and present opportunities to make a difference.

Vision

Every child deserves hope, well-being and opportunity

Mission

Provide opportunities for children and youth affected by armed conflict and social injustice to find peace, prosperity, and well being through education and empowerment.

Issue

Conflict puts society’s most vulnerable children at terrible risk of sexual exploitation, child labor, and recruitment in illicit groups. Without intervention, children can be denied access to good, safe schools or alternative forms of education - the means to rewrite their futures.

History of the Conflict

Colombia's armed conflict is the longest-running conflict in the Americas and has grown increasingly savage. In 2002 alone, an estimated 5,000 to 6,000 civilians were killed in fighting, targeted in political assassinations or "disappeared." It involves multiple sides each with its separate agenda, the most prominent actors include the guerrilla movement, which formalized itself as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Opposing the FARC efforts, rural landowners hired private self-defense armies to protect themselves and their resources. In the 1980s, with increasing support from drug traffickers and the government, these private armies gained strength and became paramilitary groups used for combating the guerrillas.

Programs

Crossing Borders

Crossings Borders is the annual service trip of CBOB. Each year, volunteers embark on a journey that will change their lives forever. Volunteers experience the rich culture, delicious food, and the hospitality of the locals. Most importantly, volunteers experience the love and kindness of the brilliant children they work with.

New Horizons

Nuevos Horizontes is a program designed to address the educational needs of the displaced children of Colombia by providing them the opportunity to learn skills they will be able to transfer to their chosen career field. The program consists of as mentoring component and a vocational education component.

Mentoring Program

E-mentors form relationships with students and assist in their career development, self-esteem building, character development, and financial independence via a social network, with which they will communicate weekly. Each mentor will serve their student with their support and guidance.

Vocational Program

The vocational education program focuses on foundational skill development through hands-on activities. It provides coursework focusing on entrepreneurship, technology, and professional skills. Nuevos Horizontes' vocational education program promotes learning through experience. CBOB's style of imparting learning is unique by designing activities that are appropriate to age groups and having the learners and educators engaging in the activities. Nuevos Horizontes believes that the experience gained through these activities are priceless and imparts its children the confidence and marketable skills that serve the local industries.

VIP

The Volunteer & Intern Program allows students and professionals to get involved in an international non-profit organization through hands on experience. By participating in VIP, interns and volunteers gain practical experience and apply their academic and professional skills to a real-world job in the non-profit field.

References

External links

• www.chbob.org