The Tree of Wishes celebrates its 10th anniversary: a decade of caring hearts.

Felipe Rodas Muñoz remembers the day when a box with his name on it arrived in the neighbourhood where he grew up, in Itagüí. Inside was a shiny new clarinet, with which he would begin to discover music. It was 2016, and the instrument was one of the gifts given out every December by the Tree of wishes at the Deutsche Schule Medellín (German School Medellín). 
That event would mark his path. Today, Felipe studies music at Eafit and has just applied for an internship at the same school that helped him discover his vocation, the DSM. 
Felipe's story is not unique. Behind each carefully packed box, there is a bond that unites those who wish with those who believe that a gift can also be an opportunity. “The project moved me deeply. It helped me focus on what I loved doing most. Receiving that instrument changed my life. It allowed me to grow, learn and give back some of what I had received” he says.

A project that grows with the community.

The Tree of Wishes was created in 2015 as an initiative of the Solidarity Committee from the Deutsche Schule Medellín (German School Medellín). That first year, thanks to the solidarity of the educational community, 759 wishes were fulfilled. Ten years later, the figure exceeds 15,000. The idea is simple but powerful: to connect students, families and staff at the school with children and young people from different foundations and communities.
Leticia Jaramillo, a member of the Committee, recalls how the proposal took shape. “We chose the central park as the symbol of our tree. We filled it with hearts and stars bearing the children's wishes. Since then, every December has become a special time, an opportunity to share and feel that we are reaching out to those who need it the most”.
The wishes are varied: toys, clothes, balls, books, or as in Felipe's case, musical instruments that open doors to the future. Over the past ten years, the project has delivered nearly 15,700 gifts and managed to make a donation to put together a band at the Las Golondrinas Foundation.

The impact of a decade of solidarity.

For Paula Álvarez, Deputy Head of the School, the value of the Tree of Wishes goes beyond gifts. “What is truly significant is empathy. Every family that takes the time to listen and fulfill a child's wish is teaching their children to look at the reality of others with sensitivity and respect. That gesture in itself is a gift”.
Over the years, the project has been integrated into the International Baccalaureate's CAS programme, strengthening the students' social commitment. Today, it is they who visit the institutions, talk to the children and actively participate in the delivery of the gifts. The experience says Leticia “closes a beautiful cycle: the children at the school grow up understanding that solidarity is also something that can be learned”.

An invitation to continue cultivating dreams.

Ten years later the Tree of wishes continues to grow, sustained by empathy, commitment and the conviction that education also flourishes when it is shared. Every December, hundreds of hearts come together to fulfill a wish and spread hope. And like any well-kept seed, this tree will continue to bear fruit in every story it inspires. Felipe sums it up simply “When you grow up and have received something like this, all you want to do is give back. Inspiration can become something very big, a contribution to society”.

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