What we do
Mission
To close social gaps through integral human development. We support children, teenagers, young people, women and older adults with ongoing training, promoting the dignity, capabilities and leadership of every community.
Nonprofit organization · Santiago de Cali, Colombia
Sermivida Foundation Proving it can be done
Since 2015 we have walked alongside families in eastern Cali. We work with children, young people, women and older adults through ongoing learning processes, not one-off handouts. Because social gaps close by being close — and by staying.
Our story
It started on one block in eastern Cali
We didn’t start from a project or a funding call. We started as a group of people who saw what was happening in their neighborhood and decided to stay. Ten years later we are still in the same place, with the same families — and much better organized.
2015
A neighborhood initiative
A group of neighbors in eastern Cali begins supporting the families of their community. No building, no budget, and one conviction: social gaps close by being close.
2016
The Foundation is born
The initiative is legally incorporated as a nonprofit organization. What had been the goodwill of a few becomes a commitment with structure, accountability and continuity.
2017
The first leaders and the first Semillitas
The Foundation’s first group of leaders and advisors is formed and, with them, the first Semillitas group begins. Both were born the same year and for the same reason: so that supporting people would no longer depend on day-to-day goodwill and would become a process with clear responsibilities, training and continuity.
Today
Four programs and one goal
The Foundation organizes its work into four stable programs and documents its processes, so that what we learn does not depend on any one person and can be replicated in other communities across Colombia.
Our purpose
Why we exist
Three answers that guide every program and every decision at the Foundation. They are written in our Internal Regulations, not in a brochure.
Where we are going
Vision
To be a consolidated and sustainable organization, recognized for the quality and continuity of its work, with strong internal leadership and documented processes that serve as a replicable model for other communities in Colombia.
How we work
Our values
Five principles we rely on when a decision has to be made and the manual falls short.
- Service.Putting our abilities at the service of the community.
- Dignity.Every person is an end, never a means.
- Transparency.Decisions are explained and documented.
- Leadership.We lead by example and train new leaders.
- Shared responsibility.We commit to those who commit to us.
Programs
Four programs that transform lives
Each program has its own name, a defined community it serves and a coordinator in charge. They are not scattered activities: they are lines of work that have been running for years.
Children
Semillitas
Learning, education and protection
A safe space where the neighborhood’s children learn, play and grow with support. The foundation for everything else.
Teenagers and young people
ELIAS
Personal growth and leadership development
Personal formation for the age when you decide who you want to be. This is where the leaders who will sustain the community tomorrow are trained.
Women of the community
Mujeres
Training and personal and community empowerment
Support and training so that every woman can strengthen her personal goals and the fabric of her community.
Older adults
Canitas
Companionship, care and recognition
Companionship, care and recognition for those who built the neighborhood. Old age deserves support too.
Impact
What a decade of work stands on
We are consolidating our programs’ figures with the rigor that publishing them requires. We would rather show a pending figure than an approximate one.
- Families supported
+100
Families supported
Consolidated by program coordination
- Children in our programs
+80
Children in our programs
Semillitas program
- Active volunteers
+20
Active volunteers
Current volunteer agreements
- Continuous presence in eastern Cali
Since 2015
Continuous presence in eastern Cali
Sermivida today
What is happening at the Foundation
Recent activities, gatherings and achievements with the children, young people, women and older adults in our programs.
Stories that haven’t been translated yet appear in Spanish.
Community
Sermivida Celebrates Culture, Joy, and Community at Its Kermés
A joyful day filled with food, music, games, and cultural performances brought the Sermivida community together to celebrate unity, solidarity, and Colombian culture.
Semillitas programIn Spanish
Sembrando aprendizajes, construyendo futuro
Nuestros niños participaron en una jornada de formación, aprendizaje y encuentro, fortaleciendo habilidades, valores y experiencias que aportan a su desarrollo integral
Partners
Those who trust us
We are building our network of partners. This is where the companies and institutions that choose to support the Foundation’s programs will appear, with their name and logo. We would rather leave the space empty than fill it with brands that do not back us yet.
Would your organization like to be our first partner? Support a specific program —Semillitas, ELIAS, Mujeres or Canitas— with contributions, training or professional support.
Become a partnerLasting social change is never improvised. It is built through continuous presence, bonds of trust and the formation of people.
Demostrando que sí se puede — proving it can be done.
Get involved
Two ways to take part
You can give your time or help sustain the programs. Both matter, and both start with a conversation.
I want to volunteer
Volunteers are the Foundation’s main human force. You bring your time and talent; we support you so you know exactly what to do.
- Induction, training and support from day one.
- A volunteer agreement that makes your role and your real availability clear.
- Governed by Colombia’s volunteering law (Ley 720 de 2001), with no employment relationship.
I want to be a partner
Companies, churches, institutions and donors who want to sustain long-term processes, not isolated events. Building partnerships is an institutional goal, not an exception.
- Support for a specific program: Semillitas, ELIAS, Mujeres or Canitas.
- In-kind contributions, training or professional support.
- Documented accountability for how every contribution is used.
Contact
Let’s talk
Whether you want to volunteer, propose a partnership or simply understand our work better, write to us. We are based in eastern Cali, Colombia, and we reply. Our team works mainly in Spanish.
NIT (Colombian tax ID)900993134-3
- Where we are
- Santiago de Cali, Valle del Cauca — Colombia
- Phone
- +57 316 449 2012
- Opening hours
- Monday to Saturday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Colombia time)