Reach Out

Our Collaborative Approach
to Economic Development

Conviventia fosters strong communities and local economies through vocational training, soft-skills coaching, micro-enterprise development, and job placement for individuals in Colombia’s most impoverished areas. Our collaborative approach to these endeavors means we leverage relationships with other community organizations, local businesses, academic institutions, local governments, and more.

Technical and Vocational
Education and Training (TVET)

Conviventia operates two centers for technical and vocational education and training—one in Bogota and another in Cartagena––both accredited by Colombia’s Ministry of Education. Every year, hundreds of students participate in our programs, which equip them with specialized skills that allow them entry into a competitive labor force, resulting in a more stable income for them and stronger businesses in the community.

CONECTA: Centers for Employment and Entrepreneurship

Since 2010, our Centers for Employment and Entrepreneurship have opened doors for poor and vulnerable members of society to successfully enter the workforce by connecting them with training opportunities and businesses needing skilled workers.

From Struggle to Stability: Yicela’s Story of Hope

At just 14, she was handed over to a man by her grandmother. From that painful beginning came two beautiful gifts—her sons, now 12 and 6—both living with special needs. One is diagnosed with ADHD, the other with autism. Raising them alone in Cartagena, Colombia, Yicela faced overwhelming challenges.

“I didn’t understand what was happening at first,” she shares. “I thought I couldn’t go on—I was completely alone.”

Then a friend told her about Conviventia’s Technical Training Institute (PTI), where scholarships are offered to women like her. Yicela enrolled in the hotel services program, and her life began to change.

Through Conviventia’s vocational training, psychosocial care, and job placement support, she found the tools—and the community— needed to keep going. “They helped me get help for my children I never could have accessed on my own,” she says. “Spiritually, I’ve grown closer to God. They reminded me that I’m not alone and that with faith in Him and His Word, I can overcome.”

Today, Yicela is working at a hotel, using the skills she gained at PTI to provide a stable future for her family.

“I thank God for Conviventia. It’s more than training—it’s hope, support, and a path forward.”