• 200 senior citizens from the Wisdom Center Day Homes located in different locations in Bogota participated in the competition and 20 poems were selected for publication, 3 of which were recognized.
• The launch of the books was organized through the National Museum of Colombia in a joint effort between the Regional Secretariat for Social Integration and the Ministry of Culture.
• The books will be available in all Wisdom House day centers and It is also material that can be read in digital format.
Bogotá, District of Columbia, October 12, 2023. The first stanza of the poem written by Miryam Salgado Bejarano, a Carlos Gaviria Day beneficiary, goes like this: “We are old…Today’s Young people tell us indifferently, but how many of them are willing to live the life we already live.” One of the 20 old people in the center of Ciudad Bolivar told his story in a book called “Infinite Verses” Life experience.
During the creation of these poems, a competition was held in which 200 elderly people from the House of Wisdom day center in different towns in Bogotá participated. 20 poems were selected for publication, 3 of which received special commendation.
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In some cases, accompanying artists from the Centro Día service opened up writing spaces in the sessions, while in other cases the seniors preferred to write poems at home. The competition started in early September and senior students had 15 days to write poems.
Carolina Mora, Deputy Director for Elderly Affairs of the Regional Secretariat for Social Inclusion, assures: “This book is where older people tell us about their experiences and calls on us all to avoid and prevent abandonment in old age. It is a An annual competition in which we invite older people to write; getting older does not mean we lose our abilities, on the contrary, we become a little wiser.”
The launch of the books was organized through the National Museum of Colombia through the joint efforts of the Regional Secretariat for Social Integration and the Ministry of Culture. This year, the competition created a new award category to specifically recognize seniors who dedicate so much time to writing, and created an Inspiration Award, which was awarded to 61-year-old Día participant Gloria Cristina Gloria Cristina Buitrago. Tucasa Center.
When he was almost 46 years old, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Four years later, he suffered from bronchitis, and the treatment affected the progression of Parkinson’s disease, causing him to become disabled.
During the event, the author read an excerpt from the book she was writing and assured: “What happened was a surprise to me, it was all a surprise. I was presenting my book, which I shared with Pa A testimony to the experience of Master Kanamori, who I choose to call my teacher because I don’t like to be a victim, I prefer to be an apprentice and learn from him and thank him that I am here.”
you might be interested: “Regarding abandonment, I think many of us never think about old age, that if you water, you will reap”: Edgar Zabala, Senior
Award-winning poem
| surgical unit | winner |
|---|---|
| Smart House Cross-Cultural Corner | Ana Mercedes Cubillos Ojuela |
| Campo Verde Wisdom House | Jose del Carmen Cubillos Contreras |
| Carlos Gaviria House of Wisdom | Miriam Salgado Bejarano |
| Rath Acacia Wisdom House | Marco Aurelio Mojica |
| Serra Morena Smart House | Jarro Ricourt Lozano |
| Smart Home Cherry Blossom Tree | Dilma del Carmen Pulido |
| Wisdom HouseLight of Hope | Miguel Angel Vargas Bernal |
| Amaru Smart House | Alfredo Amaya Bra |
| Andares Smart House | Mauricio Tibata Parada |
| Life Path Wisdom House | Maria Nicolasa Tocola Benavidez |
| Wisdom House My Refuge | Luis Enrique Garcia Cepeda |
| House of Wisdom Bishop Oscar A. Romero | Anatolio Urquiho |
| House of Wisdom Mountain of Knowledge | Rafael Cruz Rodriguez |
| Golden Years of Wisdom House | Jarro Antonio Vargas |
| Wisdom home joy of life | Martha Yannis Silva Segura |
| House of Wisdom, Place of Knowledge | Maria Elvira Rodríguez Robayo |
| Macondo House of Wisdom | Miriam Higuera Becerra |
| Wisdom House Treehouse | Luz Marina Hurtado Rueda |
| Smart House celebrates life | Maria Hortensia Canon |
| Chapinero Smart House | Miriam Avilaneda Cruz |
The goal of the initiative is to promote reading and writing among older adults in order to change stereotypes, prejudices and social imaginaries against this important population. In addition to disseminating narratives of its creation that acknowledge its identity, it seeks to promote autonomy and freedom of expression in literary creation, thereby contributing to the image of aging and old age.
Are there writing workshops?
The House of Wisdom features reading and writing clubs, literary creative writing workshops in partnership with regional art schools (IDARTES), the Fahrenheit 451 Foundation, BibloRed, and workshops with accompanying artists. There is also a reading corner in the operating unit.
Where will the books be distributed?
The books will be distributed at all Wisdom House day centres. Additionally, each winning senior will receive a copy to keep. A collaboration is being established with BibloRed so that copies can be brought to public and community libraries in Bogota. It is also material that can be read in digital format.
