Letter from the Board
Dear friends of The LEO Fund,
On behalf of The LEO Fund Board and our community partners in Colombia, we hope that this letter finds you and those you hold close, safe and healthy this holiday season. In 2021, the global pandemic and its associated economic challenges continued. Striving to realize their basic rights, people from around the world protested injustices impacting their communities. As fathers, mothers and workers rallied to advocate for themselves and better working conditions, Colombia experienced even more families struggling to meet basic needs.
These challenges are deeply experienced in our partnering communities in the neighborhoods around Cali, Colombia. In mid-2021, the people of Colombia organized and participated in peaceful protests against a tax reform. Sadly, these non-violent marches were repressed by excessive use of force by the Colombian government, military and police. The people of Cali saw some of the worst of this violence, resulting in many innocent lives lost.
The local leaders and organizations The LEO Fund has the pleasure of partnering with, continue to carry out their vital work, telling us that hope is never lost. That dreams, social activism, community building and the ongoing pursuit of peace can coexist. We are thrilled to share the accomplishments of The LEO Fund and our partners over the past year. For more information on our projects please see our website.
The financial resources donated by our supporters strengthen the skills, methodologies and potential of our partners in Cali, Colombia. As their partners, we seek their input in finding sustainable solutions to local community issues. This approach is based on cultural diversity and teamwork, striving to realize a more just world. In taking this approach, we learn more about leadership, ourselves, and how to better support our partners as global citizens.
Please consider a donation to The LEO Fund so that we can sustain and grow our partnerships with these amazing community leaders. This can be as a one-time donation or as an ongoing supporter. You can donate to a specific project, or perhaps in honor of a friend or family member. As a volunteer based organization, we are committed to ensuring that our donated funds are directly applied to our projects in Colombia.
We thank you for your support and for helping us make this a better world.
Sincerely,
Ryan McLean, Yeiffer Molina, Morgan Owen and Haley Stupasky
Program Updates
Over the last year, The LEO Fund has seen the successful completion of two powerful projects.
In 2021, The LEO Fund supported La Fundación Hip Hop Peña and continued to build its relationship with the Fundación Talentos school in the Altos de Menga neighborhood.
The LEO Fund also started a project with Javeriana University, which will impact 10 community organizations. We are only just getting starting, so stay tuned for details on the project!
Project Impacts
Celebrate the accomplishments of our partners in Cali and support their growth and resilience.
In 2021 The LEO Fund supported $13k in projects
We kept 41 kids in school and impacted another 35 (Ages ranged from 6-18 for both projects)
We facilitated 6 community workshops on gender equity and the prevention of violence
Hundreds of families and community members were impacted in Cali