Children and community members of Una Luz Foundation

A place where hunger ends and dreams begin.

In a quiet corner of Cartagena, you've helped us build a table large enough for everyone. Today, 30 children have a safe place to learn, and 100 neighbors find a daily hot meal. These are grandmothers resting their tired hands and mothers carrying new life. It's a beautiful start, but with 232 children and 500 neighbors still waiting for a seat of their own, we're outgrowing our walls. We need your help to build a bigger home for this family.

Walk with us See the plan for our new school

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See what’s happening at Una Luz every day.

@funresplandeceunaluz

The Daily Bread

Students receiving love, support and given a chance to dream.

Neighbors served daily through our community kitchen.

Total Meals prepared with love every single morning.

Children waiting for their turn to join the classroom.

Community members waiting for a hot meal.

Their Words

A warm meal that gives me the strength to keep going.

Before I found the community kitchen, I worried every single day about how I was going to eat. I would often go to sleep hungry just to get by. Now, knowing I can always walk over and find a hot plate of food waiting for me changes everything. You lifted a heavy burden off my shoulders, and you reminded me that God provides through your kindness.

Daniela Villaba

Our Journey

This started with ten chairs in a backyard, and here’s where we’re going together.

In 2019, Maricel set out ten plastic chairs for children who had nowhere else to go. She just had a simple meal cooking on the stove, a few notebooks, and a quiet faith that God was asking her to step in. Today, because you chose to stand with her, those ten chairs are growing into a beautiful new school for 250 children and a daily table for 500 neighbors. We are building this home together.

2019

The First Ten Chairs

A quiet yes to God in a small backyard. Maricel set out those first ten plastic chairs for children who needed a safe haven, trusting that a few notebooks and a warm meal were enough to start.

Help us build our new home

The Kids

Real names. Real dreams.

Our space currently holds 30 children, but our hearts hold many more. Each child here is a world of potential: future doctors, artists, and teachers who just need a little room to grow.

Meet all 47 kids who’ve been part of Una Luz (PDF)

The Community Kitchen

A Table for the Whole Neighborhood

Our kitchen doesn’t just feed students; it sustains a community.

Through a beautiful partnership with the county, our doors open every day to 100 elders and neighbors facing extreme hardship. These are the grandmothers who raised this neighborhood and the families going through their hardest seasons.

They don’t just find a plate of food here. They find a team of volunteers who know them by name, a moment of peace, and the dignity of being seen. Whether it’s a student fueling up for a math lesson or a grandfather sharing a story over coffee, our kitchen is the heartbeat of Una Luz.

Community lunch at Una Luz with families and children sharing a meal together

Volunteers sorting fresh produce at Una Luz

Community members and children sharing a meal

Children eating together at the community kitchen

The Family

The Hearts Behind the Work

We’re a family united by a calling. Our team in Cartagena are the true hands and feet of this mission: teachers who stay late and cooks who start long before the sun comes up.

The team in Cartagena

Welcome to the heart of Una Luz Foundation. The people you will read about below are much more than just our staff. They’re the true hands and feet of this foundation. From the teachers who pour their hearts into every lesson to the cooks who prepare every single meal with love, each person here is driven by a deep, personal calling to serve the children of Cartagena. We’re a family united by faith, resilience, and a shared dream of bringing light to those who need it most. Take a moment to read their stories and get to know the beautiful souls who make this work possible every single day.

Maricel Marmolejo Salinas

Director

I’m the director of this beautiful foundation, and my life’s mission is to plant love, faith, and hope in the hearts of our children.

David Rodríguez Marmolejo

Social Communicator

I’m a social communicator who loves singing and has spent my whole life serving our community alongside my mom.

Yesenia Vargas Altamar

Early Childhood Teacher

I’m a creative teacher with twenty-two years of experience who works for God and loves sharing my values with the children.

Cruz Maria Gómez

Early Childhood Teacher

I’m a resilient early childhood educator dedicated to being an instrument of God’s love for our children and their families.

Berta Luz Revolledo

Early Childhood Teacher

I’m a joyful teacher with sixteen years of experience who loves guiding children and building lifelong friendships.

Angélica Barrios Buelvas

Early Childhood Teacher

I’m a passionate teaching student who believes in the power of empathy and dreams of traveling the world.

Leyber Alberto Torres

Administration

I’m a technology and music enthusiast on the administrative team who dreams of becoming an airplane pilot one day.

Doris Mendez Zapatero

Cook

I’m a foundation cook who finds my greatest joy in preparing warm, loving meals for our children every single day.

Marylan Periñan Camargo

Cook

I’m a joyful cook who loves nothing more than seeing the children’s happy faces when they eat the meals I prepare.

Mar y Luna Rodríguez

Team Member

I’m a creative seventeen-year-old who has been happily serving the children here since the foundation first began.

Board of Directors (United States)

Our US board handles the daily work that keeps the foundation running smoothly. They take care of the fundraising, the accounting, and the legal steps that make your donations tax-deductible. We know that every gift you share with us is an act of trust. This team is here to honor that trust, working faithfully to manage our finances with complete transparency so that your generosity goes exactly where it belongs: to the children and neighbors waiting for a seat at the table.

Alejandro Duque

President

A boy who learned the meaning of giving at Christmas, now helping to build a year-round home for children.

Mariela Irala

Vice President, Operations

An artist with a beautiful vision for what a community can become when we share what we have.

Ruth Marina Tapias

Vice President, Finance

A lifelong teacher who knows that every single child deserves to feel chosen and cherished.

You’re the partner these children have been waiting for.

You have the power to turn a quiet morning into a day full of learning and a hot plate of rice. A gift of $50 fills a child's plate for an entire month and ensures they have a safe place to grow. Since we're a 501(c)(3) foundation registered in the US, your support is fully tax deductible. Every dollar goes directly to the kids and our elders because our entire team serves as volunteers. We're so grateful to have you walking this path with us.

501(c)(3) tax-deductible

What your partnership has made possible

children who’ve joined us for a meal or a lesson since we started in that backyard.

families we’ve been able to support through our various programs in Cartagena.

neighborhoods where we’ve been able to show up and bring a bit of light.

Stay in the loop

A letter once a month. We’d love to send you a quick update with photos of the kids and stories from the community kitchen. No spam, just a little bit of light in your inbox.

One email per month. Unsubscribe anytime.