On March 16, the mayor of Quibdó, Martín Sánchez Valencia, officially handed over 51 houses to the El 20 indigenous community, located along the road to Medellín.
In addition to the houses, two school classrooms were built and one of the houses was adapted as a health post, for any emergency that does not require transfer to the municipal seat.
The event in this indigenous community also served to commemorate International Women’s Day. A conversation was held with women leaders of the community. Celina Velásquez, treasurer of the local council and midwife, who has attended 33 deliveries and was second governor in the community; Maribel Velásquez Niasa, head of the female guard and governor of the community; and Dora Sepúlveda, leader of the Embera Chamí community, a professional in social work, since 2005 she has been carrying out leadership processes.
Each of them took stock of what it is to be a woman leader in an indigenous community, their struggles to overcome social barriers and to be heard.
Mayor Martín Emilio Sánchez was accompanied by officials from health, education, economic development, sports, social inclusion, infrastructure, planning, women’s, gender and diversity, culture, ethnicity, Sisben and families in action.
The Secretary for Women, Gender and Diversity, Betty Elena Garcés Moreno, spoke about the importance of commemorating International Women’s Day.