How a Crazy Idea Became Reality

The band in front of their Candela Mestiza tour bus. The author's parents' VW bus took the band on the road for approximately 7,000 kilometers during four weeks.

It was almost 40 degrees Celsius. Together with my Colombian colleagues, I climbed the stairs to the Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre basilica, melting in the blazing sun. We had treated ourselves to a two-day break in Paris. Then the tour continued: shaking hands, «We are the band from Colombia», unpacking, spotlight, packing up, and hours on the highway.

Since CES Waldorf is not a school, its work is not funded by the state. That is why the services offered rise and fall with the donations we receive from Germany. In recent years, support from some major donors has declined dramatically, which is why there was a financial crisis when I arrived in Bogotá in August 2024. Everything was new to me, and it took me a few weeks to find my feet in this unfamiliar world, which has since become so familiar to me. But it was during these first few weeks that I was particularly motivated and had big ideas. In conversation with a friend, I casually mentioned the idea of doing a fundraising tour through Germany. That evening, the thought came back to me and I talked to my host father about it. We talked for two hours, made plans, and got so excited about the idea that my hopes rose to infinity. I wanted to make it happen. I wanted to start a band and reach people through music.

Light and setbacks

The following days brought a lot of setbacks to my euphoria. No one believed it could work, but I was given the opportunity to try. I knew I couldn't do it alone, so I drew on all the contacts I had. I joined an initiative of former volunteers, and that brought a breath of fresh air. For months, we wrote to schools, companies, foundations, and organizations, and we managed to raise enough money to finance the flights. We wrote articles, gave lectures, made phone calls, held discussions, and spent many long days in the office at CES Waldorf in Bogotá. There were moments of light and there were setbacks. I laughed and cried for this project and thought of nothing else day and night. In between, I took a short break, learned a new language, discovered beautiful countries and cultures, and found a new home and new friends.

Together with my two colleagues Jonathan and Luis Carlos, I founded the band Candela Mestiza. We composed our own Colombian music, added a touch of jazz and funk, and thus created our own sound. To be honest, I had no idea about music in Colombia and therefore couldn't contribute much, but instead had a lot to learn.

Jonathan played guitar and was the lead singer at the microphone. He was the driving force in our band from the very beginning. Luis Carlos took over the percussion and gave it his all until sweat was dripping from his forehead. Together with me on the piano, we formed a trio, our own little band.

As a final rehearsal, we gave three concerts in Colombia before leaving. Almost nothing went according to plan: we made mistakes, the sound cut out, the sheet music flew away, and we were very nervous, but we learned a lot from it. Then it was finally time. We stood at the airport in Bogotá, ready for an adventure. Maria Antonia Zárate Camargo, co-founder of CES Waldorf, and her sister Laura had joined the project and came with us to Germany. A turbulent and exciting time followed for all of us.

7,000 Kilometer Tour

Our equipment was already waiting for us in Lübeck. We tested everything and then set off on our journey a day later. We christened my parents' VW bus the Candela Mestiza Tour Mobile and covered over 7,000 kilometers in four weeks. We had 23 performances in 17 different cities. Our route took us to Hamburg, Salzburg, Basel, and Luxembourg, among other places. We were even invited to an event at the Colombian consulate in Berlin and got to talk to the ambassador and other guests. It was a time filled with impressions, especially for those of us who had never been to Europe before.

Since I had organized everything from Bogotá, I was very pleased that many venues promoted us with commitment and enthusiasm.

Our start in Salzburg was a bit bumpy, because no one showed up for our first performance. We were desperate and got our audience from a choir rehearsal in the neighboring building. We were unsure, had hardly any practice, and had to improvise a lot. Then we were overwhelmed by the joy that people took in our music. Right on the first day, after driving twelve hours, we experienced failure and success, shock and joy in one evening.

Many more enriching experiences followed. We performed in various locations, with different audiences: from schools and small children to retirement homes. Maria Antonia danced with the audience, the children threw each other into the air, and sometimes there were so many requests for encores that we had to repeat songs. In between, we interrupted this hustle and bustle and confronted our audience with the reality in Bogotá. We told them about our everyday work, the various programs at CES Waldorf, and that we were on the road to collect donations.

During these four weeks, we were able to reach thousands of people with our music and lectures, and today we look back with gratitude on this unexpectedly successful project, as we were able to collect around €27,000 in donations and thus save CES Waldorf from closure. I was particularly pleased with Maria Antonia's recognition: «This trip has shown me that young people can take on extraordinary tasks when they have love, trust, and support. A volunteer's crazy idea is only crazy until it becomes concrete, until it becomes reality. Believing in it gave us hope that we would obtain the resources we need during this time to continue helping children and families who need shelter, food, and education. I am very happy about the courage, imagination, and willpower of the young people who made this dream possible for us.»