We conducted a pilot of at-scale implementation in four municipalities: Tumaco (Nariño), Jamundí (Valle del Cauca), Barranquilla, and Soledad (Atlántico), reaching 1,200 participants affected by past or ongoing conflict and forced migration, including internally displaced persons and Venezuelan refugees. To achieve this goal, we partnered with Heartland Alliance International (HAI) as our implementation partner.
The pilot aimed to test the program’s scalability. We are currently assessing whether the model could be expanded on a larger scale by an independent implementation partner to ensure the program has the desired impact, fidelity, and cost-effectiveness. Existing processes are being reviewed to enhance its capacity at scale.
Throughout the implementation, we followed an implementation science framework which allowed us to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of the scale-up effort. We are in the final stages of analyzing the results which will be shared shortly.
This phase of the project was financially supported by the Early Childhood Development Innovation Fund of the Inter-American Development Bank, United Way Colombia, and Primero Lo Primero.
Stories
Voices that Flourish
“I learned to apologize to my children; I never realized they felt the burdens I carried. I learned to apologize to them because they are not to blame for anything. I learned to think and carefully consider my steps before taking them. They are my mirror, and if I want better children, I have to start by changing.”
Participant from Bogotá, 2015
"Our program is for mothers, fathers, or primary caregivers of infants aged 0-5 in communities affected by armed conflict, displacement, forced migration, and other challenging contexts".
Highlights
Latest from Semillas de Apego
Fuente externa
Noviembre 2025
Who Cares for the Caregivers? An Event on the Well-being and Mental Health of Parents and Caregivers
This event was a gathering designed to explore, through dialogue and reflection, a question as profound as it is necessary: who cares for the caregivers? Semillas de Apego brought together guests from the country's most important care systems to discuss the achievements and ongoing challenges around the mental health and well-being of caregivers.
Fuente externa
Octubre 2025
Breaking the Cycle: Sowing Change in the Face of Adversity
This documentary tells the story of Andrés Moya, a Colombian economist who chose to bridge academic research with mental health and early childhood development. Through intimate testimonies and scientific findings, it reveals how mental health is deeply intertwined with poverty and the futures of children in their first 1,000 days of life. Andrés's own life serves as a mirror: his personal history shaped his research and led him to reimagine his role as an academic, a son, and a father.
Fuente externa
Agosto 2025
Somos Crianza Recognizes Semillas de Apego as a "Significant Experience
Semillas de Apego has been recognized by Somos Crianza as a Significant Experience for Early Childhood in the region, in the category "Health and Nutrition." According to the Evaluation Committee, the program stands out as an evidence-based experience that clearly articulates its approaches and actions, and demonstrates measurable results through a mental health impact evaluation.
Fuente externa
Febrero 2025
Protecting the Future of Early Childhood: The Story of Semillas de Apego
Semillas de Apego is featured in the Good Practices Guide for the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Children on the Move in the Americas, which presents eleven initiatives for the protection and integral development of migrant children across the Americas.
Fuente externa
Enero 2025
Sanar el pasado para proteger el futuro
Imagina que eres madre de niños pequeños y que ha sido desplazada de tu hogar debido a un conflicto violento. O que todavía estás en casa, pero temes que tú y tu familia puedan ser víctimas de grupos armados en cualquier momento.
Fuente externa
Noviembre 2024
Semillas de Apego: piloto de integración Watch, Play, Learn en Colombia
Integración de videos de aprendizaje socioemocional Watch, Play, Learn de Sesame Workshop en el programa psicosocial comunitario de Semillas de Apego para cuidadores de niños pequeños en comunidades afectadas por conflictos, desplazamiento forzado y migración.
Fuente externa
Septiembre 2024
Mención de honor solidaridad del Premio Alejandro Ángel Escobar
¿Es posible proteger a niñas y niños que nacen y crecen en medio del conflicto, la migración o el desplazamiento? Semillas de Apego ha enfrentado este desafío desde 2014.
Fuente externa
Diciembre 2023
Protección de la primera infancia afectada por la violencia
Semillas de Apego se une a Sesame Workshop (Plaza Sésamo), para impactar el bienestar de madres, padres y cuidadores, y el desarrollo de la primera infancia en entornos afectados por el conflicto, el desplazamiento forzado y la migración.
Fuente externa
Julio 2022
Sesame Workshop destaca a Semillas de Apego
Semillas de Apego ha sido destacado por Sesame Workshop en una publicación sobre desarrollo de la primera infancia en contextos de emergencia.
Fuente externa
Agosto 2023
Reconocimiento HundrED
HundrED destaca a Semillas de Apego como una apuesta por la primera infancia innovadora.
Fuente externa
Agosto 2023
Semillas de Apego en la Asamblea General de las Naciones Unidas
Andrés Moya, director y fundador de Semillas de Apego, participó en la asamblea General de las Naciones Unidas en Nueva York.
Fuente externa
Diciembre 2021
Por su impacto, Semillas de Apego gana el premio "Dejar Huella"
Recibimos el reconocimiento "Dejar Huella" de la Universidad de Los Andes en la categoría "proyectos de impacto".
Fuente externa
Enero 2024
“Sin una paz sostenida habrá más niños con problemas de salud mental”
Una entrevista de La Silla Vacía a Andrés Moya, director de Semillas de Apego.