In the municipality of Barrancabermeja, 850 technical study grants were awarded as well as 400 rucksacks containing school equipment to help children from families on low incomes who are at school in the oil port of Santander.

In the Risaralda area, the BBVA has committed to education for the second year running and handed out 400 rucksacks to Pereira town hall and Risaralda local government.

In turn, BBVA has renewed its commitment in Barranquilla and the Caribbean coast by supporting the Corazón Caribe Foundation with 80 educational grants including food and 80 education kits. These are in addition to the support provided to the CDA Foundation in Cartagena which helps children in EL Pozón area.

With the recent delivery of 100 rucksacks with school equipment to different public education centers in Cartago and Cerrito, in the Cauca Valley, the BBVA is continuing to integrate this region of the country where, at the beginning of the year, it provided an educational grants package worth 850 million pesos (around 0.29 million euro) for Cali, Palmira and Buenaventura.

Some of the cities and municipalities to benefit include: Barranquilla, Atlántico; Armenia and Pueblo Tapado, Quindío; Pereira, La Virginia and Dosquebradas, Risaralda and Cartago and Cerrito in Cauca Valley.

These actions are part of the BBVA Coroprate Responsibility Plan which in 2009 will invest 4,000 million pesos (around 1.4 million euro) in support of education and culture. As well as helping 6,000 children with the grant program, it will award 22,000 rucksacks containing school equipment in countries around the country.