16/10/2024

The Colombian city of Cartagena de Indias has long been a prime destination for tourists, who flock here to experience its variety of cultures and traditions, walk its cobbled streets with colourful houses, and bask in the joy of its people. But behind the beauty and joyfulness, a starker reality exists for many: rates of extreme poverty are high here and, according to a survey from 2022, almost half of Cartagena households eat less than three meals a day. This is particularly true for families in areas such La Boquilla, a district located some 10 km from the historic centre. It’s home to many migrant children who live in houses submerged in mangroves, without access to the nutritious food they need to grow and develop fully.  

Goretty Cueto Buelvas, lives in Cartagena and observed the situation for a while as she thought of ways she could make a difference in the community. Her initiative became Corazones Llenitos, or “full hearts”, a soup kitchen that serves healthy meals to migrant children from La Boquilla and their mothers.  

In addition to offering three cooked meals a week, the dining room hosts trainings for parents in ways to build healthy habits and cook nutritious meals without spending a lot of money.  

“[The courses are] breaking the stereotypes that eating healthy is expensive”, she says.  

“Part of what motivated me and my family to start this community work is seeing firsthand how these children go through illnesses due to the hunger they were experiencing”, she explains.  

Acquaintances and friends of Goretty help fund the kitchen, along with Fundación Dremo, an organization created to support social initiatives that also provides much of the volunteers that keep the kitchen running. 

Together, they support some 60 children and their mothers, for many of whom the kitchen provides the only warm meal of the day.  

“When you impact a child, it impacts entire generations, so go and feed them”, says Goretty. 

“We can all sow a seed and transform lives in a community”, she says. “And that’s what we do, knowing that one person's action can brighten the days of children in situations of extreme vulnerability."