Humans of Partners for Water: meet Telma Gómez

With the Humans of Partners for Water series, we showcase the people who are involved in and benefit from our projects. The Humans series highlights the stories of the people with whom and for whom Partners for Water works, and on how water affects their lives. Discover how Telma Gómez’s lifelong connection to water has grown into a mission to protect Cartagena’s mangroves and waterways for future generations.

Meet Telma Gómez

In this Humans of Partners for Water series, we introduce Telma Gómez, a social leader from the San Pedro and Libertad neighbourhood in Cartagena, Colombia, and a member of the Cartagena es Manglar Foundation. Through her community work, she brings residents together to protect the city’s water bodies and raise awareness about the impact of pollution on local ecosystems.

A childhood shaped by water

For Telma Gómez, the connection to water began early in life. As a child of around eight years old, she was already swimming and fishing in the waters near her home. An experience that would shape her love for water.

“A lot of people have become aware that we shouldn’t be throwing rubbish into our water. People really appreciate it when things actually get done rather than just talked about.”

Dutch-Colombian water cooperation

Colombia is one of seven delta countries in the Partners for Water 2022–2027 programme. In Cartagena, the programme finances the Water as Leverage Cartagena initiative, which develops inclusive and innovative climate adaptation solutions together with Colombian, Dutch and international partners.

Partners for Water collaborates with Colombian national and local governments, the private sector, NGOs, academia and community organisations to enhance water security and climate change adaptation in the country’s delta cities and agricultural regions.

Local leaders such as Telma play a vital role in this cooperation, connecting community knowledge and lived experience with broader efforts to restore and protect Cartagena’s mangroves, rivers and coastal waters.

Beyond Cartagena, Partners for Water also supports projects across Colombia through its subsidy scheme, enabling Dutch and Colombian organisations to develop and test innovative water solutions, such as initiatives to address freshwater scarcity and soil salinisation in the Magdalena Delta.