AFS Colombia
AFS Popayán was founded 38 years ago, shortly after the city’s earthquake, when visiting AFS participants happened to be in Popayán during Holy Week. Since then, the chapter has remained deeply committed to the AFS mission, holding monthly meetings with volunteers, families, and students to monitor participant experiences and strengthen cultural integration. Through activities such as museum visits, Holy Week celebrations, gastronomic festivals, dance workshops, tree planting, and creative sessions on local myths and legends, the chapter has built strong intercultural bonds within the community.
The chapter actively supports host and sending families through welcome and farewell events, where expectations, AFS values, and intercultural challenges are shared. During the pandemic, Popayán faced one of its greatest challenges, navigating sudden departures, delayed arrivals, and rebuilding trust with host families. Initiatives like the Global Prep program played a key role in renewing interest in hosting, beginning with short-term experiences and often leading to full-year placements. Over the years, the chapter has welcomed participants with diverse needs and backgrounds, including wheelchair users, LGBTIQ+ students, and students with diabetes or attention difficulties, strengthening openness and inclusion among local families.
AFS Popayán’s impact is reflected in both tangible and intangible ways. The chapter has engaged families of all kinds: large, single-parent, and even individuals hosting alone—showing that global citizenship is for everyone. Through past collaborations with Germany, they also worked closely with rural families and victims of armed conflict, efforts they continue through cultural and educational initiatives. Every December, the chapter organizes gift drives and activities for children from low-income families, fostering solidarity and community connection. Events such as hiking trips, cultural celebrations, cooking activities, visits to towns like Silvia and Puracé, and workshops like Halloween masks or myths-and-legends sessions have helped international students integrate into local life and develop global citizenship skills.
Popayán has also innovated communication efforts through the Marandunianos podcast, sharing participant experiences and ceremonies, and has taken part in local media interviews to raise the visibility of AFS. Additionally, the “Teachers with a Cause” program brings international teachers for two weeks to collaborate in local schools. Leading theater workshops, teaching physics, and sparking intercultural dialogue among local students.
The chapter’s contributions extend nationally as well. AFS Popayán has strengthened AFS Colombia by coordinating the Global Prep program, supporting other chapters through virtual and in-person orientations, and organizing farewell ceremonies that unite participants, families, and volunteers. Their continued dedication reflects a chapter that lives and shares the AFS mission every day, enriching the local community while strengthening the national network.