• Nueva Esperanza, Villa Paz and Furatena,
Three Fraternal Sectors, just one Neighborhood
• Manuel Ruíz Álvarez High School, Historical
Review and Institutional Horizon
In
late 1999 and early 2000 were generated in the city of Monteria several
movements of invasion by people who were displaced by violence, single mothers
and other citizens who did not have somewhere to live; they triggered a series of brawls, protests
and other disturbances that were out of control of government authorities,
police and other agencies.
The
squatter settlements reached to 11, in March 2002, that's when the police of
the city decides to take action in fact or act by force to try to evict the
invaders, triggering the fury of all those people who confronted police with
stones, sticks and even guns and knives, to avoid being remove the piece of
land that had invaded; clashes between the invaders and police Monteria Cordoba
and increasingly grew louder, leaving hundreds of citizens and "law
enforcement" seriously wounded and beaten.
When
this occurs, the national authorities shipped from Bogotá a squad of riot
police who came to the capital with express orders to vacate all lands invaded.
Regarding to the historical context we want to discuss the groups of invaders
and later the facts that form the foundation of Villa Paz and the three sectors
that comprise (Nueva Esperanza, Villa Paz
and Furatena):
In
March 2000, a confrontation between the riot and the invaders of the lands
located between Mogambo, El Paraíso, Edmundo Lopez and La Candelaria
neighborhood, which increased in a pitched battle is generated when the other
groups of invaders came from their settlements to help their counterparts who
were being forcibly evicted. When the riot police were confronted by an angry
crowd, who defended their cambuches with all kinds of objects and words of
those who invaded "with all his heart and soul" had no choice but to
retreat, leaving the Mayor of, and the City Council to resolve the conflict.
The
invaders in every sector of the city, where there was de facto occupation in
2000 founded the Popular Housing Organizations (OPV), with these the municipal
administration headed by the mayor began to manage the pursuit of money to buy
land for housing; later, through a loan
granted by the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit, a year after the
invasion, The City bought 40 hectares of the "Hacienda Los Araujos"
(located in south of Monteria, on the road leading to the village of Guateque to
solve the problems of invasion and relocate their invaders in this place), the
property was acquired by deed No. 2043 of January 15, 2002 the Attorney Circle
of Monteria; the land was sold by Mrs.
SIRZABEL MENDOZA DE SALCEDO, worth 995 million pesos registered under
folio real estate registration No. 14091806, Office of Public Records of
Monteria. This tract of land the the neighborhood was built (78 blocks,
including their green areas and school was delimited; the houses were built in
lots of 7x14, more to the construction of school three batches of the same
extension were left.
For
all this, it can be said that Nueva Esperanza, Villa Paz and Furatena are three
fraternal sectors which conform one neighborhood, as a result of the relocation
of three groups of invaders in a geographical area in order to build a house
for their families. The land donated by
the city of Monteria headed by Dr. Luis Jimenez ESPITIA were given by lottery
on April 9, 2002 as follows:
In
the Nueva Esperanza area, ranging from the block 1 to block 40, which is also
divided in three sub-sectors (Luz Denis, Luis Bello and La Bonga) were
relocated who invaded the land located between
Mogambo, El Paraíso, Edmundo Lopez and La Candelaria neighborhood.
In
Furatena, comprising the block 41 to 55, were located who invaded the Hacienda
Furatena; owned by Mr. JUAN CARLOS GIRALDO, located behind Canta Claro neighborhood, next to a business
called Carnes del Sinú.
In
Villa Paz, ranging from the blosk 56 to 78, were located who invaded areas in
Los Robles, and sectors behind La Candelaria neighborhood.
In
total, in the area of Nueva Esperanza 1,300 families were located in Furatena
560, and an equal number in Villa Paz.
Among
the leaders who were in charge of procurement, dialogue and negotiation with
the Mayor of Monteria we can mention:
In
Furatena, Mrs. Rosa Agámez, for Villa Paz Mr. Romero Luis Cordero, Nueva
Esperanza by Mr. José Meléndez, Mr. LUIS ALBERTO Bello and Denis SOTO.
The
Board of the People's Housing Organization (IPO), at the time, was composed as
follows:
Jose de la Cruz Melendez Viloria (Chairman)
Manuel Antonio Duenas Herrera (Treasurer)
Luis Alberto Bello Cavadía (Secretary)
Deni Lus Soto (Fiscal)
The boundaries of the district Villa Paz (Furatena, Villa
Paz, and New Hope) are:
To the North: Panzenú, 2 de Septiembre and Villa Margarita neighborhoods.
To the east: the farm of Mr. Salcedo and Mr.
PUPO.
To the South: the farm of Mr. Salcedo.
To the West: Highway to Guateque Village.
At the time of its foundation any sector had electricity
services, water supply, sewerage, domestic gas, telephone and public transport.
Today, thanks to the work of its people, the management of community leaders
and government agencies Villa Paz has managed to emerge, has water services,
electricity, natural gas, telephone and public transport.
Although some residents of Villa Paz and Monteria in
general, these three sectors are independent districts, the truth is that it is
formally constituted as a single neighborhood "Villa Paz, which in turn is
divided into three sectors. (Nueva Esperanza, Paz y Villa Furatena) Likewise,
it is worth noting that the district is sometimes called or recognized by its
members and the public as Furatena, perhaps because the facts or events of
these processes that most sounded in the national and local News and other media came and took
place in the Furatena Farm, as was
previously registered.
It is worth noting that the delivery process and
allocation of housing was a dark chapter, in which members of the Nueva
Esperanza area were called by the Municipal Comptroller for more than 51 complaints against members
of the Board of O.PV ., irregularities in the allocation of plots, sale of some
of them, allocation of plots with concrete posts belonging to the enterprise
ELECTROCOSTA, for electrical cables inside them, by denying lots to people who appeared in the lists of
beneficiaries, with no clear accountability supports (more than 15 million
pesos raised to members of the O.PV), among other irregularities, as it says in
the report of the ombudsman and deputy coordinator participating area
citizen-city comptroller, Reference: Commission No. 100 and 106 on March 18-22
2002.
The truth is that 105 families of beneficiaries were left
without a house, while an equal number of no invaders were accused of giving
money to some community leaders for the lots where they built their houses. It
is precisely these families (which were in the list of beneficiaries and did
not receive any benefit) which today has multiplied to more than five hundred,
inhabiting the so-called high-risk areas of the neighborhood in small cambuches
under high voltage wires between 34,500
and 13,800 volts or inner side and the drainage channels. At present, these
still occupy green areas intended for the construction of parks, schools,
health centers etc., while waiting for relocation and solve this problem by the
municipality of Monteria.
The saddest thing about this part of the story of the
founding of the neighborhood was the senseless death of some of their leaders,
murdered by hands unknown until today.
Representative places of Villa Paz Neighborhood.
Temple
and Dining Room Mother Teresa of Calcutta:
One
of the most representative community and religious place in the neighborhood is
the Dining Temple Mother Teresa of Calcutta , it has two functions, temple and
dining; youth and children are involved
in pastoral activities, they receive food and and are instructed in the
Catholic faith.
Yamile
Ortega, Lina Rosa and Magola del Carmen Mendoza are the moms in charge of the
place, they are assisted by 45 volunteer mothers. In this place religious
services are offered daily at 4:00 PM , except on Tuesdays.
Business sector on Main Street
Interview
with Mr. Uriel Coronado, resident of the neighborhood, a street seller, he has
been working for five years. Advise: "Young people should study for a
better future"
Interview
with Mrs. Pacheco Mena, a seller of fruit, she has spent six years in this
bussines, she gets up at 5:00. Advice: "If I had studied today I had a
better profession. Young people should take advantage of this
opportunity."
Interview
with Mrs. Mari Luz Mendez, she sells
plantains and chicharones, she lives in a small cambuche located under some
power lines, for 15 years.
Cambuches
sector built under power lines and public space.
Interview
with Jorge Luis Velasquez Tordecilla, mayor of the neighborhood who explains
how the processes of invasion occurred, summarizes the history of the
neighborhood. He invites young people to be educated and trained as true
community leaders.
Child Development Center: Life is Beautiful
History of the Institution
Manuel
Ruiz Alvarez High School is an official educational institution, of a mixed
nature and Calendar A, it was created as an educational institution on November
9 2007; it was officially recognized by
the city of Monteria with the 0611. It is located in the Block 66, Lot 1 of
Villa Paz neighborhood, which is a marginal urban area of the city. Currently
it has two sessions (morning and afternoon) and on Saturday offers education to
adult people. The current population is 904 students in morning, 893 in the
afternoon and 240 on Saturday, for a total of 2018 students distributed in
Preschool, Basic Primary, Secondary and the Academic Media. On Saturday The
Program for Adult Education is worked through the Methodology "Human
Being", by CLEI or cycles (I, II, III, IV, V and VI). Human talent
corresponds to 56 teachers, 4 teachers and 6 administrative managers.
To
know our history, it is necessary to return to the creation of the Villa Paz Neighborhoods (With sectors Nueva
Esperanza, Villa Paz and Furatena )
because they are born with three schools, one was located in Furatena (in a
cambuche in the park) in Nueva Esperanza worked in one of the houses that
the city bought for the construction of the neighborhood and the third
one in Villa Paz, it was located in the place where today operates the
Community Action Board. All this was the result of the dedication and
commitment of several educators who gave birth to this school on January 20,
2003, initially providing their professional services for free, but they
were hired by the Diocese of Monteria in
agreement with the Mayor of the Municipality later. At that time only the
elementary grades were offered. On June 10 of that year on the express orders
of the Ministry of Municipal Education the three schools are merged, taking the
name FRIENDLY SCHOOL MANUEL ALVAREZ RUIZ, school friend for the implemented
methodology and assistance of UNICEF, (School work answered the specific needs
of the student population and community, teachers worked values, coexistence,
citizenship skills. The professionals werechired by UNICEF and the Curia);
Manuel Ruiz Alvarez in honor of the teacher,
leader, and defender of public education in the Department of Córdoba
and deputy killed in 2007, time in which
the three school were merged to formed our school.
His
first director was the teacher Hilder Manuel Flórez Villar, who came as
the principal founder of the Furatena
School. The school started to Work With 820 students spread over Preschool,
Secondary School and a group of "Accelerating Learning" with the
accompaniment of 32 educators.
When
the Ministry of Education decided to restructe the schools to organized
Educational Institutions, The Friendly School Manuel Ruiz Alvarez became part
of the Cristóbal Colón High School, led by Mr. Enrique Fuentes Negrete, with a
population of more than 1500 students and 50 teachers and a physical plant of
three blocks with a capacity of 22 rooms.
In 2007, the Mayor Leon Fidel Ojeda Moreno firmed the resolution that gave to our school official
recognition as an independent institution, receiving the name of Manuel Ruiz
Alvarez High School.
On
October 25, 2006, the institution receives 10 classrooms built in the space
enclosed grounds where today are the levels of pre-school and other grades, as
it says in the opening plate; this space of land was purchased with
contributions of people achieved under the coordination and support of UNICEF,
the Government of Córdoba, the Diocese and the city of Monteria. It can be read
on the plate thanked for contributions to companies, employees and customers
for the construction, provision and transfer methodology Friendly Schools
Children IE Manuel Ruiz Alvarez to HOMECENTER, CAVIPETROL, AON, SIEMEMS,
UNISYS, ECOPETROL, SURATEP, NATURES SUNSHINE, HEWLETT PACKERD, UNILEVER,
NACIONAL DE CHOCOLATES, LEGIS, UIP,
NOVARTIS Y LABOPAT.
The
specialist Tatiana Paola Negrete Regino
took over the school on August 1, 2008 until March 31, 2011 when he assumed the
position our current rector Specialist Eduardo Enrique Correa Suarez possessed
on April 1, 2011.
The
limits or boundaries of School "Manuel Ruiz Alvarez", are:
> North: to the street that separates the
blocks 66 and 67
Villa Paz.
> South: the street that separates the
blocks 65, 66 and 72
Villa Paz.
> To the east: the street that separates
the blocks 66 and 72
Villa Paz.
> To the
West: with the double street separating apples
Here
are the words of some people who have been Principals of Manuel Ruíz Alvarez
High School.
Tatiana
Negrete (Rector August 1, 2008- March 31, 2010): "I assumed the Rectory of
Manuel Ruíz Alvarez High School on August 1, 2008, after participating in
competitive basis; with high expectations and convinced that It was God who
took the challenge. At that time the Educational Institution Manuel Ruíz
Alvarez, was one of the two youngest schools of Monteria, it was
administratively very disorganized, its infrastructure was largely neglected
despite being relatively new. It was the
center of all activities in the area and leaders were seen that felt like his.
My work focused on the administrative reorganization, to positively address the
community feel, to accompany the community, to be his support and earn
credibility with the intention of opening the way for good things came to this
institution. Fortunately we received the support of the Mayor of that time,
Marcos Daniel Pineda García, who manifested a loving and special appreciation
for this community and for the institution; under the period of my
administration and supported by the educational community and local government,
it was built the school fencing, paving the entire yard, the construction of
two classrooms, the adequacy of the computer room and the digital room,
building a sanitary unit, internal and external painting of all facilities, the
adequacy of the cafeteria; with the contributions of gratuity was invested in
improving the furniture and other tools and space to serve students, faculty
and staff, as it was able to organize the staff room, administrative unit and
stabilize maintenance of facilities, including other improvements. At the time
that I was the Principal ofl Manuel Ruíz Álvarez High School I could see in
Villa Paz, Furatena and Nueva Esperanza power grid across the sector improved,
as the rainwater channels were completed, the natural gas service was
installed, how it was built and began operating the temple room and most
importantly how they got the house connections of drinking water, one of the
greatest needs of these communities at that time.
Finally,
I have to say that the health problems caused by high-risk pregnancy and the
commitment that meant the arrival of a new child into my life, I decided to go
from the Educational Institution Manuel Ruiz Alvarez. I will never forget the
learning and life experiences, the affection of the community, children and
young students, and some teachers... I will always be grateful to this
institution".
Eduardo
Correa: "I started as director of Manuel Ruíz Álvarez on April 1, 2011, I
received the school when the specialist Tatiana Negrete Regino left it. In 2011
when I took the rectory, the school offered educational services to the
community of the neighborhoods Nueva Esperanza, Furatena, Villa Paz and El
Paraíso, the great concern of teachers in general was like going to counteract
the effects of Mega Colegio Los Araujos regarding to the coverage. We undertook
a crusade with the current administration for the achievement of a piece of
land to build a new headquarters that would allow us to accommodate our
population which is increasingly growing. We are in this task; especially now
that we have the challenge of providing services with an only academic journal,
to give the education to the community with a high quality that satisfied its
needs and be ahead of the national reality. Today, the creation of La Gloria
and Los Recuerdos Neighborhood, since the majority their children are part of
the school population; so we have the challenge of getting the land to build
the new infrastructure; furthermore to improve quality and coverage for this
new population.
We
have the strength of having 3 fully equipped computer classroom which have
internet service the 24 hours of the day, which complements the physical
library. Our short-term projection is to turn classrooms into specialized
classrooms equipped with AA and the technological elements necessary to make
enjoyable and productive the teaching-learning process and positively impact
the performance of our students. Our main challenge is to get the land with the
city administration to build the new headquarters of the institution and give
students a space commensurate with their training needs, as well as have the only
academic journal and help students to get the incentives offered by the
government to continue a professional career.
This
is a relatively young institution, it is seven years old as an Official Educational
Institution, the 11th graders of this year will be the sixth promotion of
academic graduates in traditional Journal, and the fourth adult graduates with
flexible methodology. It is important to say that transversal projects are
implemented in the school, among them, the environmental education, sex
education, music education and training for peace, the latter under the
auspices of the NGO World Vision".
• Institutional Horizon
Thinking
about the institutional reality and to respond to the needs of the educational
community the school has defined the following institutional horizon:
The
institutional horizon indicates how "the dreams" of the institution
and the context are going to be achieved in a period of time by the educational
community, taking into consideration the global, national, and local policies.
This facilitate the construction of the different dimensions that were defined
by the institution. It is built under a comprehensive vision and
forward-looking. It describes the following aspects of the organization:
mission, vision, objectives, principles, values and symbols.
MISSION:
To
form academically and with the best values of the human beings to children, youth and adults through an
inclusive pedagogical approach, centered on the academic development of
moral-ethical, cognitive-cognitive, social and personal learning processes of
students, based on principles to be people who are able to build environment
culture and improve their quality of life, and therefore the progress of their
community.
VISION:
In
2020 Manuel Ruíz Álvarez High School will be recognized at local, regional and
national levels for the efficiency, effectiveness and quality in the
development of educational processes, academic, cognitive-cognitive and
psychosocial inclusive for vulnerable populations and those with special
educational needs .
It
should be said that the school Manuel Ruiz Alvarez is based on the principles
of the Study, the Progress and the practice of values:
The
study responds to the development of skills and abilities that enable students
not only to acquire new knowledge, but also the skills which help them to face the challenges of XXI
century; bisides to have a better interaction and assertive communication, to
emerge as a leader in their community. The institution aims to facilitate study
strategies to achieve better results.
Progress,
which is viewed and understood in our
institution as the passage from one stage to another which indicate improvement
in the human condition, such as breaking ideologies, beliefs and paradigms that
impede progress. Progress is to grow in politics, science and technology, as
well as acquire an environmental culture to ensure sustainable development,
social economic sphere, which is evident in the local, regional and national
welfare.
Values
are considered in the institution, as those principles that allow us to guide
our behavior in order to realize ourselves as individuals, as the fundamental
beliefs that help us to prefer, appreciate and choose some things rather than others
or as a replacement behavior instead, as sources of satisfaction and fulfillment
too. The values form the framework of behaviors that we have the members of
the educational community to respond to their nature and rationale; the
objectives or purpose for which it was created; its mission and vision for the
future. The institutional values inspire attitudes and actions needed to
achieve the goals we set and is mainly reflected in the details of what we do
every day.
In
addition to the above the institution considers as fundamental principles the followings, due to them help us to
achieve effectively what is projected in the Mission and Vision:
Principle
of inclusion: seeks to respond to diversity in general, assuming the commitment
to develop educational practices in which all participate and contribute,
framed on cooperation, flexibility and constant modification or adaptation of
the comprehensive school system to meet the needs of the members of the
educational community.
Responsibility:
It is directed to the constant search for fulfillment of interdisciplinary
functions of the members of the educational community (students, parents,
teachers, school administrators and administrators).
Respect:
geared to the recognition of others and self framed in the field of diversity
and human development dimensions.
Teamwork:
through cooperative work processes we seek the fulfillment of the goals, goal,
mission and institutional vision.
Efficiency:
this offers opportunities to generate consistent high quality processes that
enable the development and production of knowledge and coexistence with us to
strengthen the institution.
Quality:
It is aimed at the constant improvement of pedagogical processes and
coexistence to achieve the purposes, objectives, mission, vision and
organizational goals proposed in the Institutional Educational Project.
Leadership
is the constant search for maximum educational, cultural, environmental,
cultural and in different areas and scenarios that the institution and the
community require to promote
self-management and meeting targets representation.
Solidarity,
essential principle on educational work, intended to overcome the individuality
to achieve social cohesion and creating tissue to constantly seek to educate on
diversity and difference.
Assertiveness:
is promoted in our institution in order to achieve the capacity to function
effectively in society, to act and say what they think about the time and
place, with frankness and sincerity, with words that do not violate people's
rights, always looking doing the things in the best way.
Honesty:
It is promoted as one of the principles flag of our institution, through its
implementation the truth is always unveil, as well as a way to form the
personality in terms of the permanent quest to be authentic, genuine expression
of respect, to be always ourselves, respecting the diversity and differences.
Tolerance:
It is oriented to the recognition and acceptance of others as part of human
diversity.
Flexibility:
Its orientation is aimed at allowing physical-psychological and academic
adaptation by members of the community to the change and the specific
circumstances of the institution to progress.
Entrepreneurship:
Its implementation is aimed to achieve the attitude changes in the members of
the community to allow them to undertake new challenges and projects in and out
of institutional life.
PHILOSOPHY
Manuel
Ruiz Alvarez High School was created for
the benefit of the whole Montería
people, specifically to supply the educational needs of the locality in which
it is located, carrying out the aim of improving the quality of life to the
population through educational processes, based on religious, ethical and moral
values; taking into account the customs, rights of children and beliefs of each
individual without regard to race, creed, religion or position.
In
this way, the school contribute to the
formation of children, men and women
capable to lead processes in their community to contribute to the development
of citizenship and social progress.
Our institutional
emblems
MANUEL RUIZ ÁLVAREZ ANTHEM
CHOIR
We are Manuelitas we are the pride of this land,
Children and young people struggling to serve,
with studio effort and nobility
we grow a better future
with studio effort and nobility
the progress in our country will come.
I
Of our people we are the light
radiant light of grand illusion
our thinking is always in spring
to change the life that awaits everyone.
We serve God and the homeland,
let's study companions,
Now the future holds for us,
a happy and successful way.
CHOIR
III
The dawn invites us to know
what is under the candid and limpid blue sky,
a sky that we look afar,
and shows us a common path
IV
Our emblems will respect,
they invite us to succeed,
They are effort values and progress,
every day they accompany us.
CHOIR
Words and music: Jose Gonzalez Puche
Arrangements: Geovanis Salcedo and Alicia de la Hoz
FLAG
The flag symbolizes the institution union and freedom
of our community. Has two stripes, blue top and the bottom green, in the blue
band has a star and in the center, between the blue and green two.
* The three stars represent the districts where the
school was born Villa Paz, Furatena, Nueva Esperanza, the white refers to the
desire for peace and purity of the educational community.
* The strip of blue sky symbolizes the beautiful city
of Monteria, in addition to wisdom, intelligence and faith of our students.
* Green band interprets the hope of the community,
their desires for a better quality of life and their interaction with the
environment for building an environmental culture.
