Pan de Vida CER Foundation
Nourishing the Lives of Colombian Children with NEACOL’s Support
by Delia Visbal
Transforming Lives Through Nutrition
Pan de Vida CER is a non-profit organization with 21 years of experience. Its main goal is to promote the integral and dignified development of families living in vulnerable communities in Bogotá, Colombia. Their model is of community self-management and is inspired by the Catholic faith. It aims to recognize and empower women who are heads of households, enabling them to get out of poverty and create positive changes in their environments.
Elsa Martínez De Narváez, Executive Director and legal representative of Pan de Vida CER, started this project as a volunteer in various communities in Bogotá, learning about them and understanding the needs of women who are heads of households. She later joined others who, like her, wanted to make a difference by serving and working in an effort to dignify both the beneficiaries and volunteers through organized labor and service to effectively respond to identified needs.
What Does Pan de Vida Do?
The primary objective of Pan de Vida is to provide healthy meals to vulnerable communities in Colombia by promoting the creation of Parish Community Kitchens to contribute to the food security of children, the elderly, pregnant and nursing mothers at risk of malnutrition. Their goal is to establish a dining model that can be replicated in other needy communities, thus extending their positive impact.
In addition to offering nutritious food, this organization focuses on educating in human values, fostering solidarity, and encouraging community commitment. Pan de Vida seeks to actively involve each community in the programs using their own human resources, allowing them to become responsible and voluntary leaders. They provide advice, funding, and support to communities organized around a parish, willing to commit long-term to developing programs that benefit their most needy members and ensuring they are self-sufficient in the future.
Their Principles
The work of Pan de Vida is based on the following fundamental principles:
• Love and Dedication in Service: The foundation provides its services without making distinctions based on race, creed, or political inclinations, ensuring that all individuals receive the same care and attention.
• Testimony of Faith, Hope, and Charity: These virtues guide the fulfillment of their mission, providing not only food but also hope and emotional support to those most in need.
• Professionalism, Responsibility, and Solidarity: The foundation strives to meet its objectives with a high level of professionalism, responsibility, and solidarity, ensuring that each action benefits the community significantly.
• Work with Committed and Trained Volunteers: The dedication of volunteers is essential for the foundation’s success. These individuals are not only committed but also receive the necessary training to perform their roles effectively.
By embodying these principles, Pan de Vida continues to nourish hope and transform lives, creating a lasting impact on communities in need.
NEACOL’s Call for Proposals 2024/2025
Pan de Vida CER received grants from NEACOL in 2017 and 2021 to strengthen their nutrition program for children. Thanks to NEACOL’s support, the foundation was able to expand its services, reach more children and improve the quality of life for many families.
Every year, NEACOL opens a call for proposals for organizations that work to improve the living conditions of Colombian children up to 18 years old in the areas of health, nutrition and education.. This year’s call for proposals is closed, as we have already received the letters of intent and are currently in the process of selecting the organizations that will be invited to submit a full proposal. The organizations selected this year will receive financial resources from NEACOL to continue executing their nutrition programs. Visit the NEACOL 2024 Call for Proposals page to learn more.
Vision for the Future
Pan de Vida CER aims to establish itself as an association that inspires profound changes in individuals and society through healthy nutrition and the formation of human values. By fostering a sense of solidarity in each person, this dining model can be replicated in many vulnerable communities.
In February 2023, Pan de Vida celebrated the opening of its fifth community kitchen in Bogotá. This initiative provides daily meals to 700 children and elderly people suffering from food insecurity. This achievement marks a significant advance in their mission to combat malnutrition and support the most vulnerable.
Today, Pan de Vida continues to demonstrate that the combination of healthy nutrition and the cultivation of human values can have a profound and lasting impact on vulnerable communities. Their commitment to love, dedication, and solidarity is an inspiring example of how even small organizations can achieve great things with the right support.
In conclusion, Pan de Vida is dedicated to transforming lives through nutrition and the cultivation of human values. Guided by the social doctrine of the Catholic Church, it promotes and supports social welfare programs aimed at the most needy communities in Bogotá, Colombia.These programs are developed in deep unity with the communities to contribute to their integral growth through nutrition, spiritual, and community programs.
To learn more about Pan de Vida CER and how you can support their mission, watch this 3-minute video, visit their website and follow them.
If you’d like to help NEACOL to eradicate malnutrition in Colombian children in need, click here to donate.
Thank you for helping us fight Colombian children’s malnutrition.
