According to the Multidimensional Index of Social and Productive Inclusion presented by the Saldarriaga Concha Foundation, La Guajira is the third department in the country with the highest indicators of double exclusion with a score of 48%, which means that they do not have opportunities for social and economic inclusion and also shows that the population with disabilities in this region of the country faces constant violations of their rights.
Specifically in Riohacha, the situation is even more alarming. According to parents and caregivers such as Stephanie Patiño Hernández, director of the Gabriel de Jesús Foundation (Fungajes), the denial of assistance in educational, sports and cultural areas and the violations or difficulties they face in accessing the health system are frequent.
It is worth mentioning that Stephanie is the mother of a child with a disability and when she observed that other mothers were also suffering the same type of violation, she decided to create Fungajes, to help guarantee their rights and promote the empowerment and entrepreneurship of parents and caregivers.
To support this initiative, the Legal Office of Uniguajira has been working since the beginning of 2024 with Fungajes to mitigate the situation of vulnerability. Carmen Palmarrosa Brugés, director of this body mentioned that “taking into account the social function of the university and the need to impact in the context, we requested an approach with the District Committee on Disability and then we started working together, providing free legal advice in order to have a positive impact”.
The accompaniment of this foundation, which annually serves more than 140 children and adolescents, is carried out by interns from the law program under the supervision of faculty advisors, which contributes to the academic and professional training of students and the community impact of Uniguajira.
It is noteworthy that the work performed by the Alma Mater is free of charge and without any intention of profit or remuneration, which is why Stephanie Patiño Hernández, director of Fungajes states that “the contribution they have given us is enormous. We are deeply grateful, since this work and relationship have been crucial and as a population, we know that we have the support of the Legal Office of the University of La Guajira”.
Luis Fernando Ariza Moscote
Journalist Uniguajira
