My name is Eduardo Arenas, and I currently live in Santa Rosa de Cabal, Risaralda. I was born in a rural area of this department in 1975 and, from a young age, I learned the work involved in growing coffee and plantains. I attended primary school in a rural setting under the Escuela Nueva methodology, and to complete high school, I had to travel 40 minutes by transport every day. Since childhood, I have been interested in exploring and learning about the places where I live and work. I became involved in community activities, helping neighbors and supporting my classmates as a student monitor. The school district director noticed my willingness to serve and entrusted me with delivering correspondence between rural schools. Before graduating, the district director asked me about my future plans. I told him I wanted to go to university, but first, I needed to work to finance my studies. That was when he introduced me to Francisco Alzate, who was leading rural education initiatives in Risaralda through FUNDAEC’s SAT methodology. He recommended me as a hardworking young man, a good student, and someone committed to his community. Don Francisco took an interest in supporting me and asked me to call him every Monday and Friday to keep me informed about his efforts. Since the only available phone was a 20-minute walk from my house, down a steep slope, I developed the habit of calling him without fail while continuing to work in the fields with my father. Some time later, Don Francisco visited my rural area and spoke with my mother, asking her to send me to see him the next day. That was the beginning of my journey as his assistant in the Bachillerato en Bienestar Rural, as the SAT program is known in Risaralda. A year later, I began studying for a degree in Rural Education at the Centro Universitario de Bienestar Rural. I helped print SAT textbooks in Risaralda and trained as a tutor for the program. Later, I completed a specialization in Education and Social Development, worked as a SAT tutor and coordinator, and eventually became the principal of the Centro Educativo Bachillerato en Bienestar Rural in Risaralda. In 2006, I joined the official teaching staff of the department. Throughout my career, I have accumulated 32 years of experience as an educator: 12 in the Bachillerato Rural and 20 as a full-time teacher. Currently, I am a unitary teacher in a rural school, a role that brings me great satisfaction. Additionally, I take on various responsibilities in my community, serving as treasurer of the Community Aqueduct, secretary of the Community Action Board, and president of the Board of Autonomous Rural Pedagogical Workshops (JPAR). I enjoy working in the countryside because the school is open to the community, allowing me not only to teach students but also to engage with their families and strengthen community ties. FUNDAEC taught me to see the countryside as a synonym for life and to value education as a tool for transformation. My father, with love, encouraged me to study so that I could work in an office and not have to labor in the fields like him. Over time, I came to understand that the countryside offers opportunities for a fulfilling life when work is carried out with organization and training. I learned to appreciate the richness of rural life and the ancestral knowledge of farming communities. The education I received from FUNDAEC helped me understand that learning is a continuous process and that our greatest task is to serve humanity, fostering both its material and spiritual well-being. Unity, participation, and collaborative learning are fundamental to building more just and harmonious societies. Every person possesses countless talents and abilities that only a proper education can uncover. The more knowledge we acquire, the greater our responsibility to be humble and to share our skills generously, contributing to the transformation of both individuals and society. Over its 50 years, FUNDAEC has succeeded in bringing together talents and knowledge from diverse regions. If we remain committed to building a more equitable and organized society, its impact will endure for many decades. My greatest hope is that rural communities, schools, and villages become more united and consultative, guided by a genuine collective purpose. That is why I continue working, educating by example, and promoting values that strengthen the social fabric. I aspire to a world where we can live happily, in harmony with nature, respecting differences, and fostering the pursuit of beauty and truth—a world where diversity is valued and unity is recognized within it.

Antes de graduarme, el Director de Núcleo me preguntó sobre mis planes futuros. Le dije que deseaba ir a la universidad, pero primero debía trabajar para financiar mis estudios. Fue entonces cuando me presentó a Francisco Alzate, quien lideraba procesos de educación rural en Risaralda mediante la metodología SAT de FUNDAEC. Me recomendó como un joven trabajador, buen estudiante y comprometido con su comunidad. Don Francisco mostró interés en apoyarme y me pidió que lo llamara todos los lunes y viernes para mantenerme informado sobre sus gestiones. Como el único teléfono disponible estaba a 20 minutos de mi casa, bajando una pendiente, adquirí la rutina de llamarlo sin falta mientras continuaba trabajando en el campo con mi padre.

Tiempo después, Don Francisco visitó mi vereda y habló con mi madre, pidiéndole que me enviara a verlo al día siguiente. Así comenzó mi camino como su asistente en el Bachillerato en Bienestar Rural, como se conoce al programa SAT en Risaralda. Un año después, inicié mis estudios en la Licenciatura en Educación Rural en el Centro Universitario de Bienestar Rural. Apoyé la impresión de los textos del SAT en Risaralda y me formé como tutor del programa. Posteriormente, cursé la Especialización en Educación y Desarrollo Social, fui tutor y coordinador del SAT y, más adelante, rector del Centro Educativo Bachillerato en Bienestar Rural de Risaralda.

En 2006, ingresé a la planta docente del departamento. A lo largo de mi carrera, he acumulado 32 años de experiencia como educador: 12 en el Bachillerato Rural y 20 como maestro en propiedad. Actualmente, soy docente unitario en una escuela rural, labor que me llena de satisfacción. Además, desempeño roles en mi comunidad, como tesorero del Acueducto Comunitario, secretario de la Junta de Acción Comunal y presidente de la Junta Administradora de las Jornadas Pedagógicas Autónomas Rurales (JPAR). Disfruto trabajar en el campo porque la escuela es de puertas abiertas, permitiéndome no solo enseñar a los estudiantes, sino también interactuar con sus familias y fortalecer la comunidad.

FUNDAEC me enseñó a ver el campo como sinónimo de vida y a valorar la educación como una herramienta de transformación. Mi padre, con amor, me motivaba a estudiar para que pudiera trabajar en una oficina y no tuviera que laborar en el campo como él. Con el tiempo, comprendí que el campo ofrece oportunidades para una vida plena cuando se trabaja con organización y formación. Aprendí a reconocer la riqueza de la ruralidad y el saber ancestral de las comunidades campesinas.

La educación que recibí en FUNDAEC me permitió entender que el conocimiento es un proceso continuo y que nuestra mayor tarea es servir a la humanidad, promoviendo su bienestar material y espiritual. La unidad, la participación y el aprendizaje colaborativo son fundamentales para construir sociedades más justas y armoniosas. Cada persona posee innumerables talentos y capacidades que solo una educación adecuada puede revelar. Cuanto más conocimiento adquirimos, mayor es nuestra responsabilidad de ser humildes y compartir generosamente nuestras habilidades para contribuir a la transformación tanto del individuo como de la sociedad.

A lo largo de sus 50 años, FUNDAEC ha logrado unir talentos y conocimientos de diversas regiones. Si mantenemos nuestro compromiso con la construcción de una sociedad más equitativa y organizada, su impacto perdurará por muchas décadas. Mi mayor anhelo es que las veredas, las escuelas y las comunidades sean más unidas y consultivas, guiadas por un propósito colectivo genuino. Por ello, sigo trabajando, educando con el ejemplo y promoviendo valores que fortalezcan el tejido social. Aspiro a un mundo donde podamos vivir felices, en armonía con la naturaleza, respetando las diferencias y fomentando la búsqueda de la belleza y la verdad; un mundo en el que se valore la diversidad y se reconozca la unidad dentro de ella.