Help Alejandra Izquierdo, the first indigenous woman accepted for a doctorate in Colombia, rebuild her home after a fire

Last Friday night, January 13, the house where the indigenous activist, community leader and researcher Alejandra Izquierdo lives in Colombia was consumed by flames. She, her husband and their three children were away, so they are safe but faced with the challenge of rebuilding their home. The Humanitas360 Institute, which supports the young indigenous woman’s academic career, is launching a campaign today to collect donations to help her through this difficult time. (See, at the end of this text, how to collaborate.)

In 2022, Izquierdo became the first indigenous woman to be accepted as a doctoral student at the Universidad de los Andes, the most prestigious university in Colombia. During the selection process, she passed all the exams, but needed to prove that she would have the financial resources to attend the course, a stage in which she had the support of the Humanitas360 Institute.

The fire in her house must delay her doctorate until she can rebuild the place where she lived with her family. “This occurrence makes it very difficult for me to develop my studies this semester. I have to send a letter to postpone the semester of my doctorate, because I don’t have a house,” says Alejandra.

The role of the young leader of the Arhuaco people – who live in the southern slopes of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in the north of the country – has attracted attention since the pacification process in Colombia, when she was the spokesperson of the indigenous youth before the Federal Government. After the peace agreement, signed in 2016, Izquierdo completed her degree in Industrial Engineering and has taken specializations in Public and Governmental Management, Project Management, and Health Services Auditing.

In addition to academia, Izquierdo also leads processes of empowerment of young indigenous women, encouraging their participation in community management with a focus on education, health, and protection for flora and fauna in their territories. Today, she directs the Alma y Huella Foundation, which designs and implements community intervention models with indigenous Arhuaca women through coffee cultivation, among other actions.

How to donate
Donations can be made to the accounts of the Humanitas360 Institute in Brazil and in the United States. All amounts will be transferred to Alejandra Izquierdo. After the transfer is made, please identify the donation and send the receipt through the e-mail financeiro@humanitas360.org.

It is also possible to send the desired amount to Alejandra’s account in Colombia. The bank details for the three options are given below:

H360 Brazil Account
Bank: Itaú
Agency: 1000
Account number: 93598-9
CNPJ: 20.067.869/0001-60
PIX: 20067869000160
Name: INSTITUTO HUMANITAS360 BRASIL

H360 USA Account
Bank: Chase
Account Number: 000000697192735
Routing number: 267084131
Zelle: heuseler@me.com
Name: HUMANITAS360 INSTITUTE

Colombia Account (Alejandra Izquierdo)
Banco: Banco de Occidente
Cuenta de Ahorros: 900869009
Nombre: Yeimy Alejandra Izquierdo Cujar