Remembering Annie Passot - Halloween in Casa Anna in Colombia

FEG past ExCo President, Annie Passot, sadly passed away 6 years ago. Annie had contributed for many years to the development of FEG, served many terms on the Exco and her colleagues think of her with the fondest memories.

FEG tourist guide members may also remember “Casa Annie” in Colombia. It’s a 3-floor house that Annie's husband, Bernard Tomianka, rebuilt and refurnished with the money collected at the time of Annie funeral in her memory, 6 years ago.
 

Fundacion Laudis Infantis, the Colombian humanitarian organization, manages the day-by-day functioning of “Casa Annie”, which is for children only and is located in a very deprived area of Bogota. Most children live with just their mothers (fathers easily disappear) who work during day so cannot be at home to take care of their kids.

In Colombia, school is morning only, so the staff of “Casa Annie” accompany the children to school in the morning, go to pick them up after school, give them lunch and organize activities in the afternoon until their mothers come back in the evening. That way, these children do not turn into “street children”.

Due to the difficult coronavirus situation, children now have to go to “Casa Annie” in a rotation, a different group every other day.
 

Bernard has kindly shared with FEG these photos which show this year's Halloween celebrations at “Casa Annie”.

Halloween is for Colombia a traditional celebration during which children usually go out to collect sweets. From their headquarters, “Casa Anna” asked families to stay home this year and staff members disguised themselves and took some food and sweets to the families of the area.

Bernard is still in close contact with the Colombian organization in charge of this children’s house “Casa Annie” and sends them money as often as he can, with the help from his friends.
 

Annie would have approved this lifelong work for charity!