Wet, wet, wet!

The residents of Medellín frequently speak of how the quality of life in their city has improved drastically over the past decade. After Medellín-native Alberto Uribe became Colombia’s president in 2002, the Paisas, or residents of Medellín, began to see a striking change in their city, as the federal government focused more attention on Colombia’s second city. Infrastructure was improved, public transport was upgraded, and safety concerns were tackled head on. Most strikingly, many of the social problems that had plagued the city began to be addressed through a citywide cultural revolution.

One of the most notable initiatives was the creation of a Sports and Recreation Institute, INDER, an organization that encourages young people to engage in physical activity and play sports. Across the city you can see numerous public soccer fields, basketball courts, swimming pools, playgrounds and youth recreation centres. Medellín hosts over seventy such facilities, completely free and open to everyone, from foreign tourists to children from poor neighborhoods. 

Recently the children from one of Globalteer Volunteer Colombia Children’s projects were treated to an afternoon excursion to a nearby pool by new volunteer Alex and visiting ex-volunteer Michael. Equally thrilled to be welcoming Michael back to the project after several months away from Medellín, as well as from the excitement of showing Alex their neighborhood, the children eagerly took turns grabbing the hands of the two foreigners and leading them along as the group of twenty-five paraded through the bustling hillside community. 

The INDER swimming pool is only a ten minute walk from the project, but for many of the children it was their first visit. As it is a public pool and the Paisas take personal hygiene very seriously, everyone was obliged to come prepared to swim with tight-fitting swimming suits and caps. While the other adults changed into their Speedos, a few of the children chose a bright lime green swimming cap for Michael from the vendor outside the pool. 

The complex is small but state-of-the-art, boasting a small children’s pool and a much larger one for adults. Several INDER employees stood watch, clad in the organization’s easily recognizable yellow and green outfits, and led the twenty small children (and the foreign volunteers) in various aquatic activities. 

Unfortunately, two of the young boys had forgotten to bring a tight-fitting swim suit, so were not allowed to enter the pool. Forced to remain in the small plaza between the two pools in their baggy shorts, they looked longingly through the chain-linked fence at the other kids playing in the pool. All of a sudden powerful jets of water erupted from hidden spouts in the plaza, soaking the two surprised boys. The other children quickly abandoned the pool to join them, running around the plaza enjoying the impromptu shower, and often sitting directly on top of the jets. Various children placed their swimming caps on top of the strong jets of water and squealed with joy as their caps shot high up into the air. 

After several hours playing in the water the children were worn out, and several were even able to trick the volunteers into carrying them part of the way back to the project. The group collectively decided to stop at a corner restaurant on the way back and the twenty children, two staff members, two volunteers, and volunteer coordinator all shared a large meal of chicken and Coca-Cola. The irony of the food choice was not lost on the children, as they had all taken to affectionately calling Michael “chicken” during his six-month stint as a volunteer. Obviously thinking it hilarious to be eating chicken with the man who had so successfully taught them the word in English that they had decided that it should be his nickname, many of the children insisted on having their picture taken with both Michael and a drumstick or chicken breast.

During what was to be the first of numerous future visits to the neighborhood pool, the children were reminded by their adult chaperones of how lucky they were to have such impressive recreational facilities so easily accessible for everyone to use. The city’s initiative stemmed from the belief that by providing the city’s youth with unrestricted and plentiful access to recreational opportunities and by promoting sports and wholesome activities for them to become engaged in, the young people would be far less likely to fall victim to many of the temptations, vices, and dangers that have been known to plague the city’s marginalized hillside barrios. By all accounts the INDER initiative seems to be a huge success.