Surveyed Communities
Community 1 - 200 households in Colombia
Community 2 - 200 households in Colombia and 1 household in the U.S.
Community 3 - 200 households in Colombia and 2 households in the U.S.
Community 4 - 200 households in Colombia and 11 households in the U.S.
Community 5 - 200 households in Colombia
This community is located about 70 kms west of Manizales in the Department of Caldas. Geographically, it is located in the central mountains between the cities of Medellín, Calí, Pereira, Armenia, and Manizales, location that allows it to benefit from commercial exchange among all those cities.
89.2% of its population knows how to read and write. 52.1% of the population has reached primary basic education, while 27.5% secondary (middle school) education, and only 1.4% has a professional degree. Thus, 11.4% of the population has no education at all. This community has 3 institutes and 7 schools in the urban area, as well as 49 schools, 5 non-formal institutes, and 3 schools teaching up to 9th grade. It also has a cultural center and 3 public libraries.
The main economic activity is agriculture, with coffee, sugar cane, and plantain as their main crops. Its annual mean temperature is 19 degrees centigrades. The community has 3,340 hectares located between 1,000 and 2,000 meters above sea leve. Its land is apt for permanent crops and farming. Commercial and agricultural exchange takes place on their roads, as it has 25 bueses, 32 taxis, and 60 jeeps as their mass transportation. The plaza is a commercial market with 300 small businesses. The plaza also has a church, a police station, a dry well, and a small field that serves as a cinema on Fridays.
This community has 470 years of history. This community has public electricity, running water, and sewer. It has 3 banks and 6 factories. Tourism has been one of the main driving causes for its economy, due to the coffee famrs and ecotourism parks. Tourism is managed by the private sector.
The community is characterized by commercial and farming work; young and adults participate on nightlife at bars and sicos. The community has 3 large problems: teenage mothers, unemployment, and prostitution. The lack of labor oportunities and education have forced its people to seek employment in cities such as Pereira and Manizales.
Although, this community has been Catholic by tradition, we can observe new Christian churches and new religious groups such as the Mormons. The community also has an eldely home and a fundation for children with low income, which is financed by a migrant association from London.
Community 6 - 200 households in Colombia
Community 7 - 200 households in Colombia
Community 8 - 200 households in Colombia and 1 household in the U.S.
Community 9 - 200 households in Colombia and 1 household in the U.S.
Community 10 - 200 households in Colombia
Community 11 - 200 households in Colombia and 3 households in the U.S.
Community 12 - 200 households in Colombia and 2 households in the U.S.
Community 13 - 200 households in Colombia
Community 14 - 200 households in Colombia
Community 9999 - 12 households in the U.S. These households were done to migrants from Colombia who were born outside our 14 communities.
