{"id":16248,"date":"2026-08-31T14:08:32","date_gmt":"2026-08-31T12:08:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.olcgs.org\/?p=16248"},"modified":"2026-09-07T16:30:49","modified_gmt":"2026-09-07T14:30:49","slug":"testimonies-of-solidarity-from-colombia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.olcgs.org\/es\/testimonies-of-solidarity-from-colombia\/","title":{"rendered":"Rebuilding Hope: Testimonies of Solidarity from Colombia"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the wake of the earthquake that struck Colombia in August, solidarity became a concrete response of accompaniment, listening, and hope. In their testimonies below, Sr. Fabiola Tapasco<\/strong> and partner-in-mission Valentina Beltr\u00e1n<\/strong> share how communities have come together to accompany affected families, provide support, and rebuild\u2014not only homes, but also hope for those most in need. The presence of Good Shepherd sisters together with our partners from Fundaci\u00f3n El Buen Pastor<\/a> y Fundaci\u00f3n Internacional del Buen Pastor Am\u00e9rica Latina<\/a> during these difficult times reaffirms our commitment to love of neighbor and care for those most in need.<\/p>\n

Partner-in-Mission Valentina Beltr\u00e1n<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are moments that arrive without warning and, in a matter of seconds, change the way we see what surrounds us. The earthquake that shook Manizales initially left us with a mixture of sadness, confusion, fear, and uncertainty. Many families faced damage to their homes, losses, and the worry of not knowing what would come next. For a few moments, it seemed that everything had come to a halt. But little by little, amid the difficulty, something much greater became visible: the solidarity of a city<\/strong> that chose to come together to help.<\/p>\n

The streets filled with people ready to help: citizens clearing debris, helping to clean up, accompanying their neighbors, and putting their time and abilities at the service of those most in need. Food, materials, assistance for rebuilding homes, and different kinds of aid were organized and arrived from many places. Every contribution, large or small, became a sign of empathy and hope<\/strong>. When a community comes together, even the most difficult moments can become an opportunity to show that we are capable of rising again together.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Sisters and partners assessing needs and providing support.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

De Fundaci\u00f3n El Buen Pastor<\/a>, we also wanted to remain close to our program participants<\/strong>. Some experienced the consequences of this emergency indirectly, and although we could not meet all their needs, we were able to accompany them, listen to them, and arrange assistance for some of the women and their families affected. Every contribution received meant much more than material aid; it was also a message of closeness, solidarity, and hope: \u201cYou are not alone; we are with you<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Today, looking back, we do not want to remember only the day the earth shook, but also all that stirred in the heart of our city after the earthquake: generosity, empathy, unity, and the desire to help. Manizales reminded us that an earthquake can shake our homes, cause losses, and leave us full of questions, but it does not have to bring down our hope. When hands join together, when each person contributes what they can, and when a community chooses to walk alongside those most in need, reconstruction begins. And while there is solidarity, there will always be hope<\/strong>. Manizales shook, but it did not fall, because a city sustained by solidarity always finds a way to rise again.<\/p>\n

Sister Fabiola Tapasco <\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"
Sr. Fabiola providing support to those in need.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We want to share that we, the Good Shepherd sisters here in the city of Pereira, have been accompanying people since the day of the earthquake. Our accompaniment has involved listening and support. In our neighborhood, many families saw their homes collapse<\/strong>. Neighbors have welcomed them, and we have also stored some of their belongings here. With the support received, emergency assistance has been distributed<\/strong>, including food baskets, mattresses, clothing, and other items.<\/p>\n

As women religious, we supported the Little Sisters of the Poor<\/a>. Part of their nursing home collapsed. We were present there, helping with food preparation and all the logistics. We also went to be with the Adoratrices sisters<\/a>, supporting a community kitchen organized by the neighbors. The Adoratrices lost almost all of their school, church, and community buildings. Our presence there as Good Shepherd sisters made it possible to work together in solidarity<\/strong> to provide support.<\/p>\n

Here in the neighborhood where our community is located, we held a candlelight vigil and day of prayer for victims and those affected by the disaster. On the street where buildings collapsed, candles and prayers with neighbors became a sign of hope. Some families have also come to pray with us; they come to our community to be heard.<\/p>\n

Right now, we need support<\/strong> to help people affected by the earthquake, as many have damaged homes or no home at all.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Please donate to GSIF to support the Colombia Emergency Response.<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0Donations can be made online or by bank transfer \u2013\u00a0<\/em>more information here<\/em><\/a>. When donating, please use the reference: Colombia Emergency Response.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the wake of the earthquake that struck Colombia in August, solidarity became a concrete response of accompaniment, listening, and hope. In their testimonies below, Sr. Fabiola Tapasco and partner-in-mission Valentina Beltr\u00e1n share how communities have come together to accompany affected families, provide support, and rebuild\u2014not only homes, but also hope for those most in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":16252,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[66,124,125,126],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16248","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-colombia","category-gsif-latin-america","category-partners-in-mission","category-sisters"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.olcgs.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Hna-1-Fabiola_32.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.olcgs.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16248","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.olcgs.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.olcgs.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.olcgs.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.olcgs.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16248"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.olcgs.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16248\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16256,"href":"https:\/\/www.olcgs.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16248\/revisions\/16256"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.olcgs.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16252"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.olcgs.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16248"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.olcgs.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16248"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.olcgs.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16248"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}