My name is Eduardo and I currently live in Santa Rosa de Cabal, Risaralda. I was born in a rural village of this department in 1975, and from a young age I learned the work of cultivating coffee and plantain. I completed my primary education at a rural school using the Escuela Nueva methodology, and in order to attend secondary school I had to travel 40 minutes by transportation every day. Since childhood, I have been interested in getting to know and exploring the places where I live and work. I became involved in community activities, helping neighbors and supporting my classmates as a student monitor. The Director of my school noticed my willingness to serve and entrusted me with distributing correspondence among rural schools.
Before graduating, I was asked about my future plans. I wanted to go to university, but I first needed to work to finance my studies. I was then to Francisco Alzate, who was leading rural education processes in Risaralda through FUNDAEC’s SAT methodology. I came across as a hardworking young person, a good student, and someone committed to his community. Don Francisco showed interest in supporting me and asked me to call him every Monday and Friday to stay informed about his efforts. Since the only available telephone was a 20 minute walk from my home, down a 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 village and spoke with my mother, asking her to send me to see him the following day. This marked the beginning of my path as his assistant in the Bachillerato en Bienestar Rural, as the SAT program is known in Risaralda. One year later, I began my studies in the degree program in Rural Education at the Centro Universitario de Bienestar Rural. I supported the printing of SAT texts in Risaralda and trained as a tutor for the program. Later, I completed a specialization in Education and Social Development, served as a tutor and coordinator of the SAT, and eventually became principal of the Centro Educativo Bachillerato en Bienestar Rural de Risaralda.
In 2006, I joined the department’s teaching staff. Throughout my career, I have accumulated 32 years of experience as an educator, 12 in the Rural High School program and 20 as a tenured teacher. Currently, I work as a single teacher in a rural school, a role that brings me great satisfaction. In addition, I serve my community in various roles, including treasurer of the Community Aqueduct, secretary of the Community Action Board, and president of the Board of the Jornadas Pedagógicas Autónomas Rurales, known as JPAR. I enjoy working in the countryside because the school has open doors, allowing me not only to teach students but also to interact with their families and strengthen the community.
FUNDAEC taught me to see the countryside as synonymous with 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 would not have to labor in the fields as he did. Over time, I came to understand that the countryside offers opportunities for a fulfilling life when work is carried out with organization and education. I learned to recognize the richness of rural life and the ancestral knowledge of farming communities.
The education I received at FUNDAEC allowed me to understand that knowledge is a continuous process and that our greatest task is to serve humanity by promoting its material and spiritual well being. Unity, participation, and collaborative learning are essential for building more just and harmonious societies. Each person possesses countless talents and capacities that only an appropriate education can bring to light. The more knowledge we acquire, the greater our responsibility to remain humble and to share our abilities 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 maintain our commitment to building a more equitable and organized society, its impact will endure for many decades. My greatest hope is that villages, schools, and communities become more united and consultative, guided by a genuine collective purpose. For this reason, I continue to work, to educate by example, and to promote 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 in which diversity is valued and unity within it is recognized.
