Reflections on the Community of Cazucá
From Ahmsa Field Coordinator, Milton Garzón
“I want to take this opportunity to put into context for you the transcendental change that we have had in terms of security in the area where we work in Cazucá. Some years ago, the evil custom of social cleansing was predominant, which involved massacres which took the lives of the majority of young people in this community.”
“Today, thanks in part to Ahmsa’s work with these young people, the murder rate has diminished by 85 %. We still have this problem but we have recently begun a youth project called MegaRed, with the objective of improving the lives of these young people. It is very important that the youth show the community that they are positive agents for the community itself, and that they are good examples for their peers.” –Milton G.
In Search of a Dream
Reflections from Ahmsa Field Coordinator, Milton Garzon
Patience, Persistence, and Sacrifice: The Key!
Milton Garzon, Field Coordinator for Ahmsa
Prioritizing our objectives turns obstacles into opportunities to strengthen and give true value to our dreams and goals. Pursuing these dreams and goals gives us the opportunity to reach our limits and profoundly understand that most of the time we are our own principal adversaries in achieving what we have intended. Our mindset makes us ineffective if we don’t know how to channel it. Moreover, it will become the true cause of our failure.
If we dedicate ourselves to reaching what we propose to ourselves—understanding the steps and processes that come with it—and if we have the responsibility and the tolerance, this will give us an idea of the true value of that natural principle called patience. If we are able to articulate that persistently, as well as our love for our professions, we can be sure that the bigger our adversaries are, the bigger our accomplishments will be. This will bring us to the path integral to the success of any human being.
-Milton G.
In Search of a Dream
It all began in 2005 in seeing the extreme situation of my neighborhood. The need arose to give my community the opportunity to search for new alternatives that would break the cycle of poverty. There was a need for equitable jobs that would bring about the possibility of social and economic transformation for people. In 2007, I met Matt Alexander, a person that was committed to the cause and had the will to change this situation by working for stability and security. The youth program was already a reality by August 2007. Thanks to the program, many youth are now skilled in organizational, business, and technical fields. They now see themselves as people capable of great achievements, and the program challenges them to be very dedicated to the objectives and goals that they set for themselves.
Today I can say that I have a very dignified life, with a serious job and real responsibilities. At Ahmsa, we have met many talented youth that already know what it’s like to go down the wrong path. But little by little we are succeeding. We are creating an environment where people can create dignified lives for themselves and are helping with the development of their families. I have already lived through the disgrace of losing many good people, but today I believe that there is hope for achieving a transcendental change in our young people via serious entrepreneurship.
Milton Garzon
Field Coordinator, Soacha/Bogotá, Colombia
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