Donating school furniture and art and sports equipment to 14 rural schools in the municipalities of Hato Corozal and La Salina in Casanare underscores our commitment to education as a driver of regional development. The investment benefits more than 4,500 students, teachers, and other members of the educational community.
Continuing to strengthen regional development through projects carried out under the Works for Taxes mechanism and in coordination with the Territorial Renewal Agency, the Ministry of Education and local authorities, we have invested over 5.8 billion pesos in musical instruments, sports equipment, school furniture, and pedagogical resources in Hato Corazal and La Salina.
We donated more than 10,000 items: 771 musical instruments – including acoustic guitars, harps, xylophones, maracas, and conga drums – that promote cultural identity, 6,713 sports implements – such as balls, nets, mini-soccer goalposts, roller skates and volleyball nets – that promote healthy habits and teamwork, and 3,316 pieces of school furniture that improve conditions, as well as providing specialized training for 70 teachers. The investment demonstrates our commitment to closing gaps and creating learning and development opportunities for children and young people in rural areas.
“Rural education is one of the most powerful levers to close gaps and transform realities. When we invest in the classroom, we invest in the future of the country’s regions. Projects like this – as well as other initiatives such as scholarships, processes to strengthen educational quality in the regions, and improvements to educational infrastructure – are the best way to deliver our purpose of Creating Value and Giving Back,” our Nature and Neighbors Director Anibal Fernandez de Soto said.
Education as a pillar of investment
Education is one of the strategic pillars of our socio-environmental investment. In the last three years, we have allocated more than 4 billion pesos to initiatives that strengthen educational opportunities in the territories where we operate. These actions include providing study kits to children in rural communities, a partnership with the Escuela Nueva Volvamos a la Gente Foundation to improve the quality of education in rural schools in Tauramena, and an agreement with the National Open and Distance University that allows more than 20 young people from Casanare to access higher education.
Additionally, we are promoting the creation of educational energy communities in Putumayo by installing solar panels, strengthening learning environments and promoting equitable access to energy. Each initiative underscores our vision of promoting local capacities and generating sustainable impacts in the territories we operate in.
This project is the result of a strong public-private partnership between GeoPark, local and national authorities, and communities. Leadership by the respective Mayor’s Offices of Hato Corozal and La Salina, and support from the Government of Casanare, the Territorial Renewal Agency and the Ministry of Education, shows how working together enhances the scope and benefits of projects that are transforming education in Colombia’s regions.
The investment highlights how we strategically partner with the National Government and communities to create sustainable solutions that help to close gaps and promote development opportunities in the territories where we operate.
