RUTA DE LA ESPERANZA

"Ciudad Bolívar no es cómo la pintan, sino cómo nosotros la pintamos ": "Ciudad Bolívar is not as we are shown, but as we show it. The "Route of Hope" was born from a community initiative, managed by the Nugesi21 Foundation and other organizations in the western part of Ciudad Bolívar, a large disadvantaged area in the south of Bogotá (620,000 inhabitants). It consists of awareness-raising tours through the urban area, but also in the vereda de Quiba (rural area of the city). The idea is to show the positive aspects of Ciudad Bolívar (which is only talked about in the media for its violence and trafficking) to change its image, both for tourists and for Bogotá's own inhabitants. The goal is also to generate jobs as guides for young people from these neighborhoods. The urban tour lasts 2 hours. It begins at the Portal Tunal station of the TransMilenio, which connects with the TransMiCable (Bogotá's first cable car inaugurated in 2018). We fly over Ciudad Bolívar to the Mirador del Paraíso station, then we walk through the Mirador, Paraíso and Bella Flor neighborhoods, stopping in front of spectacular street art, before meeting the neighborhood's children for a playful moment at the Nugesi21 foundation. The tour in the rural area of Quiba lasts 5 hours, with a typical lunch up there. A beautiful project to change mentalities in a country where social stigmatization according to the district of origin is particularly important.