As challenges go, travelling to Buritaca in Northern Colombia for my leadership in action project for the second summer of my Laidlaw Scholarship was the greatest I've ever come up against. Two flights and nearly 24 hours worth of travel from my home to Buritaca was tough in and of itself. On arrival I took to immersing myself in a country, culture and community about which I knew very little except a few Spanish greetings. When I stepped of the bus cradling my bags, I was immediately hit with the feeling that this experience would be an immense test of will power and resilience. Indeed, these were two skills that my time with the El Rio Foundation developed beyond measure.
As I look back on this experience, I am so grateful for the fantastic balance of challenge and growth that made my time in Northern Colombia so valuable for my development as both a person and a leader. By taking on roles that forced me to plan ahead, act with integrity and respond quickly to situations, I was truly able to push myself out of my comfort zone when it came to being a leader. An amazing highlight of my time with the El Rio Foundation was the children's carnival that we organised in the nearby village of Las Cabañas de Buritaca. A magical day of folkloric music mixed with colourful dresses, vibrant dances, and a massive amount of happiness, the carnival epitomised what I came to love about the Costeño way of life - effortless joy.
Most of all what I will take with me from this experience is the value of being an authentic, joyful and empathetic leader in every aspect of life. Whether it is leading in a sporting, academic, corporate or community environment the most effective leaders, at least from my experience, are those who can truly connect to the people around them. Those people who always pay close attention to the personal and emotional sides of people, they are the ones who are most successful when it comes to galvanizing groups into positive and effective action. Felix Sullivan, my main supervisor during my LiA is a clear exemplification of how an effective leader is someone who focusses the majority of their leading efforts on compassion and empathy for team members. For example, at the end of every volunteer's time with the charity, Felix was sure to put together a short slideshow of highlights that celebrated everyone's time with the El Rio Foundation team.
So, to conclude, I wanted to acknowledge everyone that made this experience so incredible. The list extends far beyond the names that follow, but special thanks must go to: Felix Sullivan (El Rio Foundation Co-Director), Ximena Caro (El Rio Foundation Co-Director), Camilo Olivella (Psycho-Social Lead), Daniel Maldonado (El Rio Games Lead), Kelci Jacoby (Laidlaw Leadership and Research Programme, Durham University)@Kelci Jacoby, the entirety of the El Rio Foundation family, and finally, Lord Laidlaw and the Laidlaw Foundation team. Thank you for all of your support, guidance and backing, it has made my experience as a scholar so deeply enriching.
Following such an unforgettable experience, I have spent the last few weeks and months putting together a short film that showcases what the El Rio Foundation is all about. I hope you enjoy: