In the heart of Bucaramanga, right on 39th Street and 19th, among the old streets that once witnessed a hectic and hidden life, today stands a building with new stories. The old brothel residences, where hustle and bustle and stealth were intermingled, have been reconverted into a completely different space: a home for the dreams of young students of the Universidad Industrial de Santander, UIS. There, where hopelessness used to loom in every corner, today there is hope in the form of future professionals who, with tenacity and effort, have found a place to move forward.
The building, once a scene of clandestine lives and ‘bought love’, today emits a different energy. The walls that once heard whispers, now echo with laughter, conversations about exams, academic projects, aspirations… Dreams.
Before this imposing corner building was transformed into a residence for 73 UIS students from different parts of Colombia, from Nariño to La Guajira, it provided temporary shelter for women and men seeking to make a living amidst the gloom of a society that looked at them sideways. It was a place of furtive encounters, hidden glances and empty promises. But thanks to the Sociedad de Activos Especiales that gave this property to the UIS, those old furtive stories were forgotten… Few want to remember them.
What was once a place full of red lights and shadows, is now warm, sober, quiet and with all the amenities that dignify the public and provide opportunities for future doctors, nurses, engineers, geologists, economists, graduates…
“It has been a drastic change,” confesses Michael Hurtado, a geology student from Fundación, Magdalena. “I went from living in a place where there were normally no students, to being here, surrounded by people who share my same struggle and goals. Now I feel calmer.
The calm Michael mentions is not only emotional, but also economic. For many of these students, the residence halls represent a kind of respite in a system that, for them, might have been inaccessible. In their words, “all of this has been a relief financially, in terms of my pocketbook. I didn’t expect to be here, but the university gave me a chance with this new location, and I feel grateful.”
The contrast between the building’s past and present is evident. The shadows of the old use have dissipated, leaving room for the light that these young people bring. Each of them carries their own history, often marked by the struggle and sacrifice of their families.
Lizeth Mariana Martínez, an economics student, remembers how complicated it was, at first, to find a suitable place. “I lived two blocks from the university, in a tiny room with no closet. Now, here, everything is different. We have a washing machine, gym, study room, TV rooms, kitchen, comfortable beds, everything I didn’t have before.” Her story evokes a past that, little by little, has been transformed into comfort and dignity.
For Lizeth, the relief that these new residences have brought is not only personal, but also family. “My family was a little bit worried because they couldn’t help me, and I was supporting myself. When I told them that I earned my place in the residences, it was like a relief for them.” It’s not hard to imagine the smile on her parents’ faces knowing that their daughter no longer has to worry about finding a decent roof over her head, or a place to prepare her daily meals.
The university residences are not only a physical space, but a home where different realities and experiences coexist. This place is now a daily comings and goings of ‘pela’os’ who fill the comfortable spaces. They get up very early to attend their classes and often go to bed very late when midterms or jobs displace ‘Morpheus’. While some cook, others exercise, watch television, wash, study… Little by little they are getting used to the healthy coexistence.
For Edson Jahir Sánchez, a Mechanical Engineering student, coexistence has been key. “Communication is fundamental among us,” he says. “Sometimes I go down to study at 2 or 3 o’clock in the morning, and I find my classmates studying. We’re all focused, hitting it hard.” However, it’s not all easy. Despite the camaraderie, living together can bring challenges, such as maintaining common areas. “Some are not very tidy in the kitchen, for example, but we are already talking about that. We help each other, with respect and empathy.”
Empathy is one of the characteristics most repeated by the students. For Angie Katherine Albino, a student of Literature and Spanish Language, the key to coexistence has been understanding and solidarity. “I feel that we have to be very understanding with others, set limits but at the same time listen to others. If they have a complaint, we have to be supportive.” Angie also mentions how, for some, loneliness was a constant before coming to the residences. “I used to feel a bit lonely, but now I feel like I have the company of someone in the evenings, with whom I can talk and gossip for a while. I’ve felt really good.”
For others, such as Kevin Sebastián Rueda, an Electronics Engineering student, the stay in the residences has been “incredible”. In his words, “the coexistence has been excellent, the fellow students are good people, and in general, we live well together”. However, the challenge of sharing common spaces is still present, especially in the mornings, when everyone must take turns using the bathroom before going to class. “It’s hard, but we get organized,” Kevin says with a smile.
The stories of these young people are intertwined with the history of the building, which seems to have been reborn along with them. The irony of a place that once housed lives trapped in a bleak routine, now turned into a haven of hope and growth, does not go unnoticed. Santiago Rendón, a seventh semester Electronics Engineering student, describes it with pride: “I wish we could all be UIS”. For him, these residencies represent not only financial aid, but also a space for collaboration and respect. “We are organizing ourselves to avoid conflicts. It is a process and we are achieving it.”
Marly Mejía, a nursing student, has also found the residences to be a relief. Coming from Palestina, Cesar, her journey to UIS was not easy. “I had never traveled alone for so long,” she recalls. “It was hard because my mom didn’t know what we were going to do, we had no money. But I got there, I was accepted into the university, and then into the residence halls. It’s been a blessing.”
His story is one of perseverance and effort, both his own and that of his family. “My parents are doing the best they can to help me, even if it costs them.” Marly left her town with only 200 thousand pesos that her father managed to get, but ‘millionaire’ in dreams; it was clear to her that in order to better herself, she had to leave, to let go. “I said, I already graduated, I have to study, leave my house, I don’t want to stay, I have to get ahead. I told my mom I want to go to the University, and here I am”… The UIS residences have been a relief, as has been for many of them the canteen service.
Every corner of the building seems to have a story to tell, a testimony of struggle and overcoming. Kevin Leonardo Ortega, from Boyacá, and Antony Alexánder Cerón, from Nariño, tell similar stories of effort and sacrifice. Both come from rural families, where work in the fields is the norm, and higher education is a dream that few manage to achieve. “The residency benefit has been a great help,” Kevin comments. “Everything here is very comfortable, we have a gym, kitchen, washing machines. It’s as if we were in a four-star hotel,” jokes Antony, who traveled more than 28 hours from his small town in northern Nariño to study medicine at UIS, after scoring 411 points in the Icfes.
And so, the old brothels, once a symbol of a secret and marginalized life, have now become a beacon of hope. The students who live in them represent a new generation, one that dreams of changing the world, and that is achieving it, step by step, in a process that, like life itself, is long but rewarding. Every day, a different story is woven within the walls of this building, but they all have something in common: the tireless search for a better future.
