After an emergency, returning to school can mean much more than going back to class. For a child, it means reuniting with friends and teachers, returning to a familiar routine, and feeling safe again. For a family, it means having the peace of mind that their children are protected while they gradually rebuild their own daily lives. That is why, following the earthquake on August 10, Fundación Fraternidad Medellín knew one thing for certain: we had to act. 

From the very beginning, we contacted the 133 educational institutions we have supported to learn about the situation in their communities and make sure their students were safe. Then came the questions about classrooms, laboratories, walls, slopes, and sports facilities.  

Given the scale of the challenge, the Foundation decided to allocate COP 20 billion, approximately USD 6.5 million, to support the reconstruction and recovery of damaged educational infrastructure. This decision stems from a conviction that has guided us for years: in an emergency, children must come first, and their schools must continue to be safe and protective environments. 

Action began immediately. At CER María Josefa Correa, in Jardín, and the primary campus of IER Tapartó, in Andes, cracks in walls and other structures were repaired to ensure that students could safely remain at school. At the same time, together with the Government of Antioquia, we began mapping rural schools across the department to identify damage and move forward with the necessary interventions. 

This effort will be carried out alongside Fundación Berta Martínez, a partner with whom we have shared for years the goal of creating more dignified educational spaces and better conditions for the children and young people of Antioquia to learn, grow, and build their future. 

The challenge ahead is enormous, and it requires all of us. It gives us hope to see how citizens, businesses, foundations, and public institutions have responded with solidarity. Today, more than ever, we need to continue bringing together our capabilities and collective commitment to support the affected communities. 

With this COP 20 billion investment, we want to rebuild much more than schools. We want to help families regain peace of mind, give children back the spaces where they can come together, and help communities get back on their feet. 

In the most difficult moments, fraternity takes on its deepest meaning: feeling another person's experience as our own and choosing to do something to help. Colombia needs us united. And with everyone's support, we will continue working so that every classroom that reopens its doors also opens a door to hope.