We fell in love with the people of Ciudadela Sucre—11 neighborhoods dotting the hills of the city of Soacha outside of Bogota, Colombia on our first trip, back in 2013, as international volunteers with Habitat for Humanity Colombia. In 2019, Habitat for Humanity International closed its Colombia office. Desiring to continue working alongside our friends in Ciudadela Sucre, we formed our own nonprofit—Building Trust Americas. We are registered in the United States as a nonprofit and have tax exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the US Internal Revenue Code.

In 2020, during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, your donations helped us provide food packages to more than 3,000 people in Ciudadela Sucre, and in 2021, we started a scholarship program for adult secondary students and financed the construction of one family home. In 2022, we funded the construction of a long stairway that connects two areas of the same neighborhood along a route that was in very poor condition and crime ridden. See photos of the new stairway on our website.

In 2023 we returned to Ciudadela Sucre where we funded and helped build a cancha, an athletic field used by the neighborhood of San Rafael Alto for soccer matches, basketball games, and community events. Implemented in partnership with TECHO Colombia, the project was completed in April 2024. We also continued funding the scholarship program for adult secondary students thanks to our cooperation with local Catholic community services center San Benito Menni.

Last year we provided funding for 10 scholarships, and seeing the smiles on the students' faces as they graduated after several months of hard work filled our hearts with joy.

In addition, we once again partnered with TECHO Colombia to finance and construct a community center in the Brisas de la Esperanza neighborhood of Ciudadela Sucre. The multifunctional wooden construction includes two bathroom and serves 250 families. It allows the community to carry out recreational, artistic, and learning activities for children, mothers and young people.

Below are photos of the finished community center which was built with funding from our donors and a lot of hard work from BTA and TECHO volunteers alongside residents of the Brisas de la Esperanza. Special thanks to Michelle, Eric, and John who both raised funds and traveled to Colombia to build with us and learn more about Colombia, its warm people and their struggles and achievements.

In 2025 Building Trust Americas will fund twice as many adult secondary students as before. This is thanks to the significant increase in donations in 2024 and the continuous needs assessment carried out by San Benito Menni in the community. In addition, this year we are financing 100 school uniforms as children are going back to school in February. Uniforms are mandatory in Colombia so we are helping lower-income families avoid another expense.

As for the community infrastructure projects, we are in talks with potential partners from the neighborhoods of Ciudadela Sucre to submit proposals for needs identified by each individual neighborhood. We also hope to hold our third volunteer build towards the end of the year so stay tuned for more information!

As they say, in difficult times look for the helpers... and be a helper. Thank you for being helpers together with us!

2025 Support Building Trust Americas Work in Colombia

Partnering with the Communities of Ciudadela Sucre, Colombia