Getting Ahead on the Mean Streets

Before he attended a life skills workshop offered by Children International, Harold Osorio, 10, followed a precarious path that was full of potential for disaster.

“Harold lives in one of the most dangerous zones of the city,” reports Patricia Calderón, Communications Coordinator for Children International’s agency in Barranquilla, Colombia. “Often, he witnessed armed robberies and saw his neighbors and relatives taking drugs. He was always out on the streets, and that exposed him to the danger of picking up vices.”


The workshop changed Harold’s entire perspective. Now he understands the dangers of his environment and realizes that the wrong kind of behavior could put his life at risk. Harold is now convinced that there is a better way to live, in spite of the pressure from his friends.

In fact, Harold has decided he wants to be a businessman and become someone in life. Now that’s what you call “street-smart”!

Photo and reporting assistance by Patricia Calderón.