Colombian Pacific Creative & Community Recovery

At Fundación Marimbea, we believe that protecting culture also means caring for the people and communities who keep it alive. That is why, in collaboration with The CreatiVrole Project, we are joining a recovery initiative supporting families, musicians, traditional knowledge holders, cultural workers, and small community livelihoods affected by the earthquake that struck western Colombia in August 2026.

In Colombia’s Pacific region, a home can be much more than a place to live. It can also be a workshop, rehearsal space, family restaurant, small business, or community gathering place. Recovery, therefore, is not only about repairing damaged structures. It is about helping restore the conditions that allow families to sustain their daily lives, local economies, and cultural practices.

The initiative includes support for essential repairs and safe housing needs; replacement of tools, equipment, and supplies for small businesses and family livelihoods; and assistance for musicians and cultural workers to help sustain their practices. Among the cases currently being documented are families in Buenaventura and Guapi with strong connections to the musical traditions of the Colombian Pacific.

The project is grounded in trusted local relationships, documented needs, local purchasing whenever practical, responsible distribution of resources, and transparent reporting, while protecting the privacy and dignity of participating families.

This collaboration is rooted in a shared belief: recovering a territory also means strengthening the people who carry its memory, knowledge, music, and ways of building community. By supporting the communities that sustain culture, we are also helping safeguard the living heritage of Colombia’s Pacific region.