The Story So Far
Children of the Andes (COTA) was initially established to raise funds in the UK for local children's organisations in Colombia. Whilst we were able to do this very effectively, providing millions of pounds in grants to projects all over the country, we soon realised that money alone was not the answer. Although our partner projects had great expertise in working with children, many of them were being held back by lack of skills and experience in other crucial areas including fundraising, financial management and planning.
In 2005 COTA opened a Field Office in Colombia, which enables us to work more closely with our partners and help meet some of these additional needs. We now have two permanent Field Officers who work along-side our partners, providing a helping hand when ever it's needed as well as technical support and training. By having a permanent presence in the country we are now even more in touch with the changing issues and policy environment that affect vulnerable children - and better placed to make a difference.
Through our journey we have grown to become the largest UK charity working exclusively in Colombia. To date, we have sent almost £5 million in grants, enabling ten of thousands of the country's most marginalised children to get the care and support they so desperately need and, crucially, be children again.
