Level 5

ELP Project 1
“Making a Difference”
2021
Group members:
Laura Pájaro
Jesus Tapia
Mariana Vergara

ACTIVITY 1
DIRECTIONS: CHOOSE ONE OF THE READING AND COMPLETE THE CHART.
Please, erase the ones you do not need

1. 2016 CNN Hero of the Year: Dreaming is

worth it
http://edition.cnn.com/2017/12/15/opinions/jeison-aristizabal-2016-hero-year-update-
letter/index.html

CNN)We asked Jeison Aristizábal to share what's happened since he was

recognized as the 2016 CNN Hero of the Year. Here is his open letter:

I used to look at life with difficulty.

Through every path I walked, I encountered barriers and discrimination. I was a boy
with dreams and tireless perseverance, on a mission to find opportunities for
disabled children and young people. I never wanted to spark pity, only love and
solidarity toward disabled children like me.

CNN Hero Jeison Aristizábal

I was passionate about helping the disabled community, but this was not easy to
achieve: The system in my country, Colombia, does not promote public policy to
provide opportunities and a better life for people like us. It hurt terribly to hear the
stories of those families with disabled children; especially because, as a child, I lived
through adversity in thousands of ways, due to a society (and a school) that
excluded me for being different.

Despite having cerebral palsy, I came up with different ways to conquer the world, to
change the perception of disability and, before all else, to get society to realize that
we should always give, regardless of how little we have.

At all times, I carried my message of the value of solidarity, of recognizing that it's
the most effective way through which we can understand that helping others is
extraordinary.

Being nominated to be a 2016 CNN Hero was a wonderful dream come true for me.
It moved my desire to help forward. I was filled with a roller coaster of emotion; it was
days and months of new-found feelings. I would always keep the need to create
opportunities for all these children with disabilities in mind; these children that,
despite the challenges they face, always provide a hug, a smile or a look filled with
hope. All of this motivated me to keep dreaming.

Through the labor of our foundation, ASODISVALLE, every day we are surprised by
the capacity people have to teach us the importance of unity. How can we not
recognize its greatness? Through this recognition by CNN, people have been moved
by my message and have been spurred to act.

Today, because of the recognition as the 2016 CNN Hero of the Year, I have
traveled the world with my motivational speech, "Three secrets to being happy." I am
moved by the fact that families want their children to be like Jeison. Children meet
me and say that they want to be like me, and even those who know my story through
other platforms are motivated to follow the model of a "CNN HERO." It's so gratifying
to be the motivation for so many human beings.

HERO TYPE OF SOCIAL PLACE

WORK

Jeison Aristizábal Children and Young -His fundation,

people's social work. ASODISVALLE

TARGET COMMUNITY CAUSE/REASON FOR
HELPING
Helping the disabled It is because the country
community especially does not promote public
young people and policies to give
children. opportunities and a better
life to disabled people, he
decided to help by finding
opportunities and a better
life for disabled people
and their families.
(Colombia)
-With his motivational
speech, "Three secrets to
being happy", he travel
the world.
EFFECT/CHANGE ON
PEOPLES REALITY
To raise awareness of the
value of each person
whatever their condition
and that many more
people support this
cause. Also, that people
like him feel accepted and
comfortable with
themselves.