The Prodeco Group assumed the commitment to promote a new form of environmental education in Cesar and Magdalena, with the purpose of transforming the environment into a development axis for the communities.
It is a proposal that integrates teachers, students and the community in general in a single objective: to understand the importance of knowing and caring for the environment, seen from social, economic and cultural perspectives.
In 15 public educational institutions in La Jagua de Ibirico, Becerril and El Paso, in Cesar; and Ciénaga, in Magdalena, we achieved the implementation of the PRAE (School Environmental Projects), a project promoted by the national government, which seeks to generate spaces for the participation of the educational community in search of better practices for the promotion and care of the environment in its territory. .
At the end of 2022, a total of 95 trained teacher leaders were achieved, more than 80 specialized advisory sessions in environmental education, planning and management of environmental projects, 15 environmental education activities in educational institutions impacting more than 4,000 people from the whole community in general.
The Boquerón Educational Center, in La Jagua de Ibirico, had a great environmental experience and today is an example in its community of good recycling practices. “I feel very happy and proud to be able to practice my profession in the service of caring for the environment. This has been a great work of art that we made with more than 1,500 plastic caps to raise awareness about the use of solid waste,” said Jesús Arias Felizzola, lead teacher at this institution.
Another important bet of this new form of environmental education is PROCEDA (Citizen Environmental Education Projects), initiatives developed by organized groups of citizens.
Since its implementation nine years ago, the PROCEDAs have promoted various conservation and environmental protection measures and have managed to raise awareness in the community about individual responsibility in the effectiveness of such measures. However, the biggest challenge is to ensure the sustainability of responsible conduct and the measures implemented.
In response to this need, the ‘Green Businesses’ project was created, made up of different enterprises, through which goods and services are offered to the community from recycled inputs or environmentally friendly activities.
Currently, there are seven PROCEDA groups with about 66 members, who have led more than 20 environmental education activities in their communities, impacting more than 2,000 people.
These groups are the creators of the seven enterprises that operate in the municipalities of the area of influence of the Prodeco Group in Cesar and Magdalena.
In the village of La Loma, in El Paso – Cesar, there is a business of handicrafts made with recycled tires.
Oneida Villamizar, Environmental Manager and member of the green enterprise ‘Arte en Llantas’, knows that her work and that of her partners has a great impact on their lives. “We transform tires and turn them into art, while taking care of the environment and generating income. With this venture we not only benefit financially, we also contribute to education and care for the environment. Our dream now is to be able to sell the designs abroad and have our own store”; she stated so.
The Prodeco Group’s commitment to building the educational bases of thousands of young people, together with the need of the community itself to educate themselves in environmental matters, was the main contribution to the ‘greening’ of these communities that decided to learn, apply and share all the knowledge about good environmental practices to contribute to the improvement of their quality of life.