A healthy childhood in the forest

Children and families are fundamental agents in the construction of the notions of wellbeing and health of the indigenous population; they must also be listened to by the institutions since it is their responsibility to adapt practices to their needs and thus become referents for appropriate approaches to childhood in Colombia. For this purpose, protective factors and risk factors are identified and worked on, promoting the former and reducing the latter. 

The main focus has been working with rural and indigenous children, making home visits to identify the conditions in which children live in the Colombian Amazon, inquiring about their families’ lifestyles, traditional practices that protect them, neglected infectious diseases or their mental and emotional wellbeing. The results are analyzed and, if required, cases are referred to health institutions or attended to by community health personnel.

In order to ensure the well-being of children, efforts are focused on working with families in the development of welfare practices with an intercultural approach, for example through direct impact on the food sovereignty of the communities. Thus, by diversifying the chagras (family crops) and knowing the nutrients in the food they harvest, they will be able to improve the right to adequate food for children in the Amazon.