With murals alluding to the cultural richness of Valle del Cauca, the Seine region started beautifying the Pan-American Highway
There will be eleven murals that are made with the mosaic technique, which will adorn the Pan-American highway, highlighting the cultural heritage of the region.
Art, inclusion and design is what will be embodied in three road bridges in the municipalities of Zarzal, Palmira and Bugalagrande, as a bet by public and private entities for the social, tourist and artistic development of the Valley.
This will be achieved thanks to the participation of 53 women and two ‘unstoppable’ men who were trained in the mosaic technique in partnership between the Valle Regional Sena, the Departmental Government, the Secretariat for Women, Gender Equity and Sexual Diversity and the Museum Free of Public Art of Colombia.
The foregoing, on the occasion of the First International Meeting of Mosaic Artists with a Gender Approach held in the ‘Sultana del Valle’, with the participation of experts from Argentina, Chile and Colombia.
“These alliances strengthen the impact of the ‘Unstoppable, Women that transform’ program, led from the Center for the Construction of the Seine in Cali. Thanks to our women in the program, we are going to leave more footprints in our department,” said Beatriz Eugenia Cobo, deputy director of the Construction Center.
Claudia Cerón, one of the SENA participants, said that this workshop taught her how to use tools and techniques. “It was a great healing experience for me and I know it was for the other attendees as well,” she said.
There are a total of eleven murals that will show the cultural heritage of the department, highlighting elements such as the trades inspired by the cultivation of sugar cane, the influence of the Pacific, the salsa dancers, the peasants, the chontaduro, the cathedrals, the cat de Tejada, the variety of birds, extreme sports in Lake Calima, hummingbirds as a symbol of hope, coffee trees and typical sweets from the local industry.
“We want to beautify the bridges in the region, that have color. The invitation is to take a tour of the department when these murals made by women mothers who are heads of household are exhibited”, said Claudia Bibiana Posada Roldán, social manager of the Valley.
This work is the fruit of the effort, dedication and training of the SENA in alliance with important entities of the Valley, indicated directors of the entity.
cooperation
On the other hand, until the last day of the year 2026, the memorandum of understanding that the Seine and the German-Colombian Chamber of Industry and Commerce (AHK) have just signed in Cali will be in force, in order to strengthen their cooperation ties.
One of the main objectives of this action is to strengthen the Comprehensive Vocational Training provided by the Entity in Colombia and guarantee the modernization of the technologies used by the centers in their learning environments, to generate a greater impact on the industries and the development of the regions.
“Before signing the document, we had a meeting with representatives of the SENA to discuss possible cooperation projects, focusing on the German dual training, which unites the labor field and education in a single program and which opens up many possibilities for Colombians” , explained Mischa Alexander Groh, CEO of the AHK.
The Director added: “The Memorandum allows deepening ties and cooperation (…) to enhance the training of apprentices, lower youth unemployment, mitigate desertion and increase employability. From the Chamber we will do our bit to achieve this and support initiatives around agribusiness”.
The agreement was signed at the headquarters of the Valle Regional National School of Instructors (ENI), in an act hosted by the Center for Electricity and Industrial Automation (CEAI), a venue that has maintained a very close relationship with the Germans.
On behalf of the General Directorate of SENA, the National Coordinator of International Relations and Cooperation, Marcela Ramos Arroyave, was present. “We seek to join efforts for future joint actions in various fields, such as Industry 4.0, the CampeSENA strategy, culture, sports, science and technological innovation, in addition to promoting possible mobility between the two countries for apprentices, instructors and administrative personnel”, he highlighted.
On behalf of the AHK, German businessmen and organizations or those with ties to the European nation were present, who presented their service portfolios. The deputy director in charge of CEAI, Jaime Diego Arias Figueroa, and five deputy directors from Buenaventura, Buga and Cali participated in the Valle Regional.
“CEAI, in particular, has a long history of technical cooperation with Germany, which has been important for our industrial automation, electronics and Industry 4.0 processes. In addition, our instructors have been able to carry out visits and internships at Festo and Bosch centers, world leaders in state-of-the-art technology”, indicated Arias Figueroa.
For his part, Andrés Felipe Valencia, AHK Training Leader, concluded: “Cali and Valle del Cauca are industrial benchmarks in Colombia and the AHK particularly recognizes the work that SENA is doing in terms of training, instrumentation, industrial control, software development and Industry 4.0. Additionally, in this Regional there are very interesting works aimed at the most vulnerable population, which we want to support, resume and replicate in the country”.
The Sena-AHK event was held in Cali, as part of a national tour of the German delegation aimed at generating alliances with various organizations and entities in Colombia.
After the activity at the ENI, a joint tour of some CEAI training environments was carried out.