You are Luz Marina Echeverri Toro, founder and director of Paso Seguro S.A.S., a Medellín social enterprise that employs and trains people who have left Colombia's armed groups. It is Tuesday 7 April 2026 and this year is COP 440 million short. By the board meeting on Thursday the 16th you must propose what size Paso Seguro will be.
The situation
You founded Paso Seguro in 2022, after ten years in public reintegration programmes, under the government's Paz Total policy. It has 35 employees: 18 former combatants who work as trainers, facilitators and coordinators; 12 reintegration specialists — psychologists, social workers, coaches; and five people in administration. It operates in Medellín, Bogotá and Cali and serves 127 former combatants in active programme: 58 in Medellín, 41 in Bogotá and 28 in Cali. Of those who finish, 68% are still employed afterwards.
For 2026 there is COP 760 million: 280 of own revenue (training for schools and corporate-responsibility consulting, growing 12% to 25% a year), 180 from the national government and the final payment, of 300, from the international foundation that has backed you from the start and is closing its Colombia programme. Running the operation costs COP 1,200 million a year. From 2027, with no foundation and the government at 100, the same structure would leave a hole of about 820 million a year.
You know many of the participants by name, and everyone on the team. For several of the former combatants, Paso Seguro is their first formal job. The specialists ask in the corridors whether there will be dismissals. You have never had to dismiss anyone.