The Asociación Social Popular (ASOP) is a non-profit organization located in Bello, Antioquia (north of Medellín). Since 1977, ASOP has worked toward the prevention of drug addiction, delinquency and prostitution among young people between the ages of 5 and 18 years old through a unique combined program of education and empowerment. It is the only prevention-based program for children in Bello.

ASOP’s founders believe that when children have access to both a solid academic education and opportunities to foster self-worth and self-reliance, they are better equipped to avoid destructive behaviors and make healthy, productive life choices. The organization is committed to serving the most at-risk children, including those who have been drug-addicted, who come from impoverished and problem-plagued families and who have been expelled from other schools, in order to provide them with opportunities to improve their lives.

Begun as an extra-curricular program to work in conjunction with the educational system, ASOP has since expanded to serve 1,000 children annually through both formal schooling and after-school initiatives. The organization focuses its prevention programs in three primary areas: education, health and employment to provide students with an overall package that will give them the tools they need to succeed. The education component is unique because it implements a pedagogy that emphasizes love and respect of the environment. The health program seeks to transform behavior; it engages children and their parents to educate them on sexual health and encourage children to feel self-confident rather than ashamed or fearful of their sexuality. In the employment component, students develop their practical and technical skills in order to increase their opportunities when they enter the job market.

In 2003, ASOP received the “Galardón Antioqueña de Oro” (the Gold Award to a woman of Antioquia) from IDEA to commemorate its innovative social engagement in the region.

The Genesis Foundation is helping ASOP to fund the purchase of a new educational facility.

For more information about this institution, or to make a direct contribution, please contact:

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