California Agricultural Leadership Program

At it again …

And we’re off to our last destination in Colombia: Bogotá! We certainly were not ready to leave Cartegena, but the capital city of Colombia is so rich in history and culture, and this last city in the Colombia leg of our trip has been pretty hyped up – we can’t wait! The weather was a huge (and welcomed) change for us; Bogotá is nestled high in the Andes, located nearly 9,000 feet above sea level. We got off the plane and were greeted with a completely unfamiliar sight – sweatshirts!

We started the day at 4am for our 7:15am flight from Cartegena to Bogotá. Nothing but smooth sailing. Our wonderful Presiding Fellows moved all 27 of us from one city to the next in near perfect fashion.

Once we landed in Bogotá, we split up into two buses for the trip from the airport to the hotel. The trip was about an hour, and our Tour Guide, Lina, told us a little about the city on our drive. It turns out that Bogotá, similar to California, also has terrible traffic and high rent. Interestingly, their traffic is so bad that cars are only allowed to drive five days a week and are required to take two days off, as determined by your license plate. Lina also explained that Bogotá has many developers that are coming into the city and re-developing old homes into higher density apartment buildings. The parallels with the issues that we face in California were really interesting. We weren’t sure that we’d be willing to give up our cars for two days a week, but it got our wheels turning.

We spent the day in seminars in our hotel learning a bit more about Bogotá.

Our first speaker was from the TAAP Foundation, and provided us with information and background on the migration of Venezuelans in Colombia. We learned that Colombia hosts nearly 5 million Venezuelan migrants, who face numerous challenges including aporophobia, migratory grief, and difficulties with integration (employment, banking services, healthcare, education, and housing). Additionally, we discussed the issues with humanitarian aid programs that focus on the short term needs, rather than long term solutions. Again, issues that parallel California and our broken immigration system. We focused the discussion on the benefits of migration to overall societal success. While no one has a really good solution to solving the ‘migrant crisis’, we were reminded of the importance of putting ourselves in the shoes of others. How would we feel if we lived a day in the life of a migrant? We reflected on our own privileges and ended the session feeling truly blessed for all we have, and looking forward to ways we can help migrants feel more welcomed in our communities.

Next, we heard from the USDA Foreign Ag Service to discuss US imports/exports to and from Colombia. We learned that cut flowers, coffee, and bananas are the largest exports from Colombia to the US, and the USDA FAS is actively working to expand US markets here in Colombia.

Our last speakers for the day were from Fundacion Santo Domingo – a family owned, private NGO providing funding to environmental, educational, and social programs around Colombia. It was wonderful to hear more about the Fundacion today, as we were just at one of their projects yesterday in Cartegena (go read yesterday’s blog!).

Overall, we had an incredible, albeit long, first day in the capital city. Learning more about the migrant journey was the most impactful part of our day. It really tied together what we saw in Panama, with what we have seen in other parts of Colombia. This country – like our own – is a melting pot of different, vibrant, diverse cultures. Immigration and integration are complex topics, but we are constantly reminded of the good, the beautiful, and the important ways that life is enriched through blending our cultures and experiences to create a deep, complex, and rich community.  

Love to our families back home ..

One note is that the timing of this incredible seminar meant missing Halloween with our families back home. For those of us with young children, there was a wistfulness to the day that was hard to ignore. One of our Presiding Fellows, Katey Taylor, had the awesome idea of having our loved ones share some photos from home. We are grateful that when we get home we will be reunited with our families as better people and can soak up even more quality time with those pictured below! Enjoy!

With love, Reid, Cornelio, and Jeannette