Transcending as people

Students from the Girardot branch are developing care activities for senior citizens and children with cognitive disabilities.

The activities were led by Professor Mireya Vanegas Carvajal, who teaches labor law in the Business Administration program in Girardot. “The objective of this work, which is carried out with them, is to awaken their sense of solidarity and confront them with the realities of our country, leading to an expected learning outcome, evidenced in an improved and transformative action, where students act, experience, and solve problems of social, disciplinary, and personal reality, as stated in our Transmodern Digital Educational Model (MEDIT).”.

And so it was in this case, where the multidimensional field of learning transcended those spaces. “On October 31, 134 special needs children were cared for at the CERES home. Ten students led them in recreational and sports activities. In addition, they received two hundred pairs of socks, fourteen caps, and raffled off balls.”.

For Lina Sanabria, a third-semester business administration student, this event confirmed how many people treat this population. “It reinforced my belief that society has forgotten about children with disabilities. I have a son with a mild disability, and this issue deeply affects me. From that perspective, the work that UCundinamarca, through Professor Mireya, is doing is invaluable because it raises awareness about the challenges faced by others.”.

Later, on November 2nd, this teacher, who has a philanthropic spirit, visited the Centro Esperanza San Antonio nursing home. “There, with six students, we provided recreation, listened to their stories, and gave them dental hygiene kits containing a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a towel. All these activities confront them with reality, and that is what I aim for with these experiences.”.

For Flor Alba Ramírez Mora, a third-semester Business Administration student, this meeting provided important life lessons. “As a person, visiting this 'hope center,' as it's called here, instilled in me the desire to help this community so they can have better physical and mental health. As a student, it made me question the lack of medical care provided by the state, so that day I drafted a formal request for an elderly man to receive medical attention, as he had gone several days without it.”.

Finally, this visit made her reflect on her future, and she thanked the institution for this experience, which, as Rector Dr. Adriano Muñoz Barrera says, transcends the traditional approach of teaching and certifying, making the university an organization with soul, heart, and intelligence that contributes to the community. “Now I know I need to contribute to a pension for my retirement. I also want to thank UCundinamarca for allowing me to have direct contact with this reality to which I can contribute a great deal.”.

In this way, the university trains students under the MEDIT premise, which speaks of educating a transhuman person for life, democratic values, civility and freedom, where one moves from an education for doing and work to one for being.

More news from the Girardot branch at the News Agency