Our first stop in Cartagena was the Indufrial Foundation, a refrigerator manufacturing company that runs a job training program and small business incubator. The program receives funding from the U.S. government through USAID as well as from the Colombian government and Colombian businesses.
A large part of the Colombian population is in transition, forced from their homes from the decades of violence that has been prevalent across the country from drug lords, rebel groups and others. The government has made dramatic changes that have ended much of the violence, but now the challenge is to provide stable housing and employment for thousands of displaced and demobilized citizens. While at Indufrial we heard from young people who have received job training and support starting up their own businesses such as the young woman pictured here. You can sense a new excitement from these young people and hear the hope in their voices as they see a bright change for their future. The purpose of this trip is to show members of Congress this developing economy and how it is tied to the opportunities provided by a free trade agreement with the U.S.
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