CASA HOGAR from Bonn honoured with Colombia’s highest order for democracy – Commitment to education for girls and women in Chocó recognised

The Bonn-based organisation CASA HOGAR Deutschland e.V. was awarded the Orden de la Democracia Simón Bolívar at a ceremony in the Congress of the Republic of Colombia on 1 July 2025. The highest award of the Colombian parliament honours CASA HOGAR’s long-standing commitment to the education and empowerment of girls and women in the Colombian department of Chocó, which is affected by poverty and violence.

An international delegation of representatives from business, culture and science, led by CASA HOGAR founder Priv.-Doz. Dr Theodor Rüber, held political talks in Bogotá and visited the NGDO’s educational projects in Chocó. Particularly moving: at the award ceremony at the congress, pupils and students who currently live in the dormitories supported by CASA HOGAR told how their lives have changed since they were admitted to the projects.

The travelling group also included outstanding artists, including the solo harpist of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra Magdalena Hoffmann and the British tenor Andrew Staples, who enriched the ceremony in Parliament with a musical contribution. Both are also involved with CASA HOGAR outside the concert hall.

The exchange between young women from structurally weak Afro-Colombian and indigenous communities in Chocó and the guests travelling with them from Europe has remained in Theodor Rüber’s memory. “It was impressive to see how it was possible to find a common human centre – between people who live in very different contexts. The encounters were characterised by mutual respect and a high degree of commitment,” says Rüber, who is a full-time neurologist and neuroscientist at the Department of Neuroradiology at Bonn University Hospital.

In ten years, CASA HOGAR has implemented over 40 projects, including hostels for schoolgirls and students, a shelter for women affected by violence and educational scholarships. More than 7,200 girls and women have benefited directly and over 22,000 relatives have been reached indirectly. The CASA HOGAR Niña María residential and meeting centre currently under construction in remote Istmina in the middle of the Colombian rainforest will provide almost 50 disadvantaged girls with a safe educational path in future. In the future, the site will also offer educational measures for children and adults from the neighbourhood and the entire Istmina region.

The award from the congress recognises the commitment of CASA HOGAR as well as the work of the local partner organisations in Colombia. Eva Ramírez, CASA HOGAR project officer in Colombia, summarises: “This trip has impressively shown that education can build bridges. The stories of the girls and young women from Chocó touched us all deeply – they are the best proof that our joint work can create real prospects.”