Caring for the caregivers

The Care Block in Ciudad Bolívar, a working-class neighborhood in southern Bogotá, was created in September 2020 to address the problems of women caregivers who come down from the mountains every morning to work in the neighborhoods of the center and north of the Colombian capital.

Equipment CLACSO.tv She toured the facilities, seeking to reflect, through various interviews, the problems faced by these women and their families: Natalia Moreno Salamanca, Director of the District Care System at the Secretariat for Women of Bogotá; Carolina González Moreno, Manzana coordinator; Amparo Méndez; Mary Luz Clavijo Daza; Luz Ángela Romero, and María Nelsy Contreras Garzón.

As the Executive Director of CLACSO maintains Karina Batthyány In the documentary's introduction, "care policies are under construction in Latin America and the Caribbean, which is why we want to contribute to the debate, to also contribute ideas for their construction... We have to look at them critically in order to learn from these experiences and see how to move towards universal care policies for our region... Let's think together about how to continue building on this path of care policies in Latin America and the Caribbean."

This center, the first of 16 currently operating in Bogotá, benefits caregivers, children, senior citizens, people with disabilities, and the entire community living in this area of ​​the city with its diverse services. Its founders maintain that "now women have time to study, rest, start businesses, find employment, have fun, and exercise all in one place," in addition to receiving guidance in various areas.

All services at the Care Block are free. Caregivers can study to complete their primary and secondary education, take free courses, learn to create and manage their own business, formalize their entrepreneurial ventures, or find employment. They have access to a Reading Room that offers cultural programming, as well as learning and skills development workshops. Additionally, they can receive free medical care and guidance, counseling, and support from psychologists and lawyers to address, prevent, and eliminate any case of gender-based violence.

Handyman's Apple – Ciudad Bolívar, SuperCADE Manitas – Carrera 18L #70b-50 Sur.

CLACSO.tv
Direction and interviews: Gustavo Lema
Cameras and editing: Guido Fontán
Production: Eric Domergue