The Story of Parquecito de Ceiba
By Adriana Matamoros.
Clara, 51, is the founder of the community kitchen Parquecito de Ceiba. When I first met her, she greeted me with a warm smile, her eyes full of kindness, and called over some of the children to say hello and play some guessing games. Clara’s love knows no bounds, extending equally to strangers and family alike.
Like many of the mothers featured in past articles, Clara’s journey began in the Colombian Pacific Coast Choco region. She fled from violence, seeking safety and hope, and found a new home in Cali. Clara shared that her passion for working with children stems from her childhood experiences, as her mother ran a daycare. She learned the importance of caring for children from a young age. After relocating to Cali, Clara and her family started a daycare again, which allowed them to help children in need who were often left alone while their parents worked. It was here that she devoted herself to providing meals for the children in her neighborhood, offering them more than just food—a sense of care and belonging.
Clara’s community kitchen was born during the pandemic when she decided to create a community pot or olla comunitaria to address the growing need for food among the children in her community. Before the pandemic, Clara sold fried food on the streets of Cali to pay her rent, but upon seeing that many children had nothing to eat she was motivated to help. The local government sent her aid in the form of food packages, and after some time, they asked her to register the kitchen and give it a name.
A tragic event that marked Clara’s life was the death of her daughter, who passed away at the age of 25 in 2017 due to acute bronchitis. This pain led her to hold on to her grandchildren and the children in the community, seeking to offer them support and love. Despite the hardships, Clara is grateful for the opportunity to help the children and has found in them a source of motivation and joy. She shares that her work in the kitchen has allowed her to overcome her shyness, and she has learned to speak up and advocate for her needs and the needs of the children.
Name: Clara Ibarwin González, 51. She self identifies as an afro descendant displaced victim from Colombia’s internal armed conflict.
Name of the community kitchen: Parquecito de Ceiba
Where is the community kitchen located?
Located in Pisamos Uno, just three blocks from Jeovah Jireh’s community kitchen, Parquecito de Ceiba serves a different part of the neighborhood. Due to the strong presence of gangs, the community kitchen primarily supports children living on the opposite side of Pisamos Uno, where invisible borders imposed by gang territories make crossing certain streets dangerous.
As I arrive, I’m reassured that the gangs generally allow community kitchens to operate without interference. Still, the challenges here are palpable. The neighborhood is home to many young people who, despite having access to education, face slim job prospects. This lack of opportunity often pushes them toward gangs as a means of survival. Confrontations between gangs are said to frequently involve sticks and stones, exacerbated by drug use, and tragically, they often end in violence or death.
Amid this harsh reality, encountering someone like Clara is profoundly uplifting. In the face of adversity, she chooses to spread love and hope among the children, creating a sanctuary of care and compassion in a deeply fractured community.
How many kids does the kitchen serve?
The community kitchen currently serves approximately 230 children from Monday to Friday. Meals typically include rice, lentils, beans, pasta, and occasionally eggs. In addition to local children, the kitchen supports those from refugee families, including migrants from Venezuela and displaced individuals from regions like Buenaventura and Chocó.
Many of these families live in asentamientos—informal or illegal settlements—where homes are constructed from bamboo cane and access to running water and electricity is limited. Over the past few years, their presence has grown bringing more children to the community kitchen and increasing the pressure on food supplies. Some come into the community kitchen without shoes as their parents are not able to afford them. Yet, when I spoke with Clara during my visit, she assured me that sometimes she finds a way to stretch the resources, even if it means contributing from her own pocket, despite her family’s already limited means.
How have you seen the community kitchen impacting the lives of the children?
Clara has observed a significant impact of the community kitchen on the lives of the children and their families. The children are grateful and feel they can focus on their studies because they know they have a place where they can get a meal. Clara has also noticed that some children who were previously on the streets, involved in dangerous situations, now prefer to come to the community kitchen instead.
Additionally, Clara shares stories of specific children, such as a girl named Jiren, who has improved remarkably thanks to the support of the kitchen, and another girl named Chaira, who is now studying and has received the support of the community.
Chaira, who has no father and lives with her mother, who serves as both father and mother, has spent much of her childhood growing up in the community kitchen and the surrounding neighborhood. While Chaira had not attended school in the past, she is now enrolled and has made significant academic progress, advancing to the fifth grade.
The community has played a crucial role in caring for Chaira. Her mother works as a nail technician, and due to her demanding work schedule, the community has stepped in to support Chaira. Neighbors have rallied together to look after her, do her hair, and ensure she is well cared for while her mother is at work.
What challenges did you face when starting this project and how did you overcome them?
Clara has faced several challenges in running the community kitchen. One of the main issues is the increase in the number of children served, which has grown from 120 to 230, putting pressure on the budget and available resources. At times, she runs out of food to offer the children, which makes her feel sad and concerned.
Additionally, Clara mentions that there are moments when the children arrive feeling sad, especially if their families are going through difficulties, such as health problems or stressful situations. She has also had to deal with a lack of support and resources in her community, as aid does not always reach her neighborhood, which is considered an area of high need and unemployment.
Despite these challenges, Clara remains committed to her work and continues to find ways to help the children and their families.
What support have you received from the community and other partners?
Clara has received considerable support from the community and other partners. During the pandemic, she organized a community pot and, upon seeing the needs of the children, began reaching out for help. The local government responded to her call by sending a truckload of food, enabling her to continue feeding the children at her kitchen.
Additionally, the neighbors in her community have also contributed. Clara mentions that local merchants offer support, such as food and other resources, to help her keep the kitchen running. For example, some neighbors donate ingredients like lentils and other staples so the children can take food home.
Clara has also received support from Compassion Kitchens, to sustain the kitchen and continue helping the children in her community.
What are the future plans for the kitchen?
Clara has ambitious plans for the future of the community kitchen. She envisions establishing a foundation called "Melisa," in honor of her daughter, which is already registered with the Chamber of Commerce. Her goal is to create a space that serves as a refuge for children, where they can feel safe and have access to education.
Additionally, Clara hopes that this refuge will not only offer food but also medical care and other essential resources for the children's well-being. She is motivated by the love the children show her, with many calling her "aunt," "grandma," or "mom," which strengthens her resolve to continue helping and nourishing the children that needed the most.
What advice would you give to other women or individuals who wish to start or lead a similar project in their communities?
Clara offers several pieces of advice for other mothers or individuals looking to establish a community kitchen. She emphasizes the importance of being brave and persistent, stating that "perseverance achieves anything." Clara also highlights the need to hold your head high and support those in need, emphasizing that "nothing is impossible; everything is possible."
Is there anything else you want to say?
Clara expressed her gratitude to Compassion Kitchens for the support she has received. She mentioned that since the pandemic, she has seen many children in her community without food, and her work has been driven by the desire to help them. Clara feels happy to be able to provide them with meals and support, and she has received significant help from Compassion Kitchens, which has allowed her to continue her work with the children.
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