The teachers are striking in Cali. Therefore, Salka went to Popayán to have meetings with two schools to discuss working together next year. She made an agreement with INEM Popayán, where she is going to work next year. She also met with a small school, Francisco José de Caldas Calicanto. Since there are few students at this school, we decided to use this time and work with the 8th to 11th graders.
Working at Francisco José de Caldas Calicanto
At the school, Salka had the pleasure of working with some really great students. It was a bit of a different experience to work at a small school after being at INEM Cali that has more than 2000 students.
Many of the students at the school are from families who have had to come to Popayán because of the internal conflict in Colombia. For different reasons they have been forced away from the areas where they come from. The neighborhood that the school is located in is not the most secure either. It was clear that the students are growing up in an environment that at times is rough and has a lot of social problems. The school also has a high rate of teen pregnancies.
The students were generally more shy than what we have seen at INEM Cali. They did not ask as many questions, but at the same time it was clear that they were curious and wanted to learn as much as possible.
It has been a pleasure to work with the students at Francisco José de Caldas Calicanto, and we wish them all the best !