Nydia Quintero, the 'lady of solidarity' who was an example of courage and love, has passed away.

Doña Nydia , as everyone calls her, lived her entire life thinking of others. Her vocation for service began when she was a child, “my parents instilled it in me. It's a feeling that's inspired by the home, not just following an example,” said the former first lady of the nation.

However, his passion for helping began when kidnappings began in Colombia. I was deeply moved by the kidnapping of the now-deceased liberal politician Oliverio Lara and that of industrialist Harold Eder. It distressed me to think that there were people capable of committing crimes. That demonstrates a lack of values. I said that just as there were people dedicated to growing flowers, raising fish, and preventing whales from stranding on beaches, there should also be people responsible for spreading the values ​​of coexistence among young people.

So, in 1975, she sought out people who would support her idea of ​​creating a foundation to work in the field of education and values ​​formation. And she found a following among some. "I wanted to inspire a lot of people, to become committed to education and peace in the country . What I didn't imagine was that this required an office with a secretary. I used to say that every Colombian home should be an office, and its inhabitants, public officials. But that wasn't the case ."

"I wanted to spread the word to a lot of people, to make them feel solidarity for education and peace in the country.

Finally, the Foundation was formed and the charter was signed. From that moment on, work began. "We secured the first contributions, formed a committee for the bylaws, one person helped us with the video and another with the logo, and we got started."

At first, they were small actions, which gradually expanded. However, when Julio César Turbay Ayala, her husband at the time, began his campaign for the Presidency of the Republic, Doña Nydia decided to take a break. "I halted everything that was being done, so it wouldn't be confused with proselytizing. In any case, I knew that whether Dr. Turbay became president or not, I would resume the work."

And so it was. On the last day of August 1975 , the Foundation's statutes were expanded so that its work would not be limited solely to education.

Today, when asked about what has been done, he replies with satisfaction that it's wonderful to review, because one does things with such enthusiasm that one never goes back on them . And now, in these 25 years, we realize that we've visited some 600 places in the country, including villages, indigenous communities, hamlets, neighborhoods, towns, municipalities, and cities.

Sitting among her azaleas , a few days ago this white one was so full of flowers that the leaves could not be seen, she commented, pointing at it, and reviewed her work.

"When you have a vocation for service, you seek ways to make others' dreams come true."

Paths like the one she walks year after year in Bogotá, accompanied by queens, actors, musicians, and citizens who want to support the Foundation's work.

This is how the Solidarity Walk for Colombia was born 22 years ago. It arose from an interest in holding an event on behalf of the Foundation that would provide recreation for Bogotá residents and at the same time raise funds for the public works.

But the Foundation's flagship work is definitely education, he reiterated. That's why the Jóvenes Solidarios (Young Solidarity) exist. They are boys and girls who have benefited from 17,800 scholarships to study high school.

Later, and as a complement to this program , the Diana Turbay Scholarships for Higher Education were created, in honor of the deceased daughter of Doña Nydia.

Among the work planned for this year, and with the funds raised during the walk , the Foundation plans to further expand its coverage of projects to accommodate more children.

"Furthermore, another goal is to create something like a job center for the parents of young people who are currently unemployed. Between Bogotá and Córdoba, there are approximately 1,200 students. Of these, 400 are from Bogotá. Sixty percent of these students are children of unemployed parents," he commented.

That's why one of the most important things for us is that we've been able to stay in business thanks to the media and the sponsorship of private companies, concluded this woman who only has time for her ten grandchildren and the Foundation.

I've played bridge and golf all my life, but my friends don't even invite me anymore because I stopped going a long time ago, she said, not without a smile.