BOGOTA INSTITUTE

INSTITUTE OF NUESTRA SEÑORA DEL PILAR

• The Institute was born as a Sunday School in Bogota, founded on February 7, 1943 by Sister Ana María Uribe for the women of domestic service. Later it extended its service beyond Sundays to all week, but continued with the name “Sunday School”. In 1972 it took the name of Instituto de Nuestra Señora del Pilar. The first in charge was Sister Rosaura Puentes.
• Its headquarters are located at 64th Street 13A-30, Engativá (Cundinamarca), a popular, economically and culturally marginalized sector. Although several schools are currently there, demand has been increasing due to the influx of displaced persons to this area.
• The Institute provides its services from Monday to Friday with a schedule from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Some days we also work in the morning hours, when it is required by some course for learning machine weaving, or to recover the holidays that fall on weekdays.
• Activities are carried out such as: Training in design and making clothing for women, men and children, ceramic and fabric painting, liquid paint, macramé, porcelain, figurines, decorative boxes, machine weaving, and crochet.
• Achievements are labor qualification, increased family income, creation of some micro-enterprises, access to the labor sector, women’s realization and growth in self-esteem. In the same sense, it is a therapy for the occupation of free time in productive activities.
• All this is part of a comprehensive education plan in which Christian formation has priority. It enhances the sense of belonging, self-esteem, constant growth on a personal and human level and being agents of their own development. It stimulates the value of the things that are constantly received and for this reason, they are required to pay something for learning.