(This post was written in July 2025!) 

And just like that, myself and my fellow Laidlaw scholars in Mexico City are now halfway through our Leadership in Action project with Makesense! Already, I am so proud of the progress we’ve made, as well as the lifelong friendships that have already been cemented, and can’t wait to see where the next three weeks take us!

My time in Mexico City so far has been full of new adventures and surprises. I have absolutely loved getting to know everyone here, whether it be the other Laidlaw scholars here with me, our lovely team leaders, Nuri and Keni, the team at Las Sabinas and their adorable sausage dog Cleo, and just generally getting to meet local people on our trips around the city. I am learning so much from everyone I meet here and am coming back to my accommodation each day with so many new ideas and perspectives. 

Looking back at what my team has achieved in just these first three weeks, I am very proud of what we’ve managed to do so far. We’ve produced a design for our queer feminist puppet Emancy, who we hope will represent ‘Florenciendo sobre Ruedas’ and Las Sabinas well. We’ve now met with Pam, Clau and Famar from Las Sabinas a few times, and have loved getting to brainstorm our ideas with them. Having now coordinated our team of local volunteers, and assigned the smaller project teams they will be working within, we are looking forward to seeing our ideas for the social media campaign come to life. I am also writing this after our first rollerblading session with Las Sabinas, and despite being rather achy and bruised (I did warn you in my last post that I’m clumsy!), I'm already excited to get my skates back on next week. 

Looking to our final three weeks in Mexico City, our main goal is to get working on our social media posts for Las Sabinas. Our lovely volunteers have already been busy filming content for Instagram and TikTok, kicking off with our first rollerblading the other day. Myself, Holly and Jezlyn are also planning some trips to the fabric shops around the city, where we’re hoping to return from armed with felt, yarn and glue to start making Emancy! 

Already, I’ve made so many wonderful memories in this city. A real highlight has been getting to visit some of the art galleries, particularly the Museo de Arte Moderno and the Museo de Arte Popular. In our first week, we also took a day trip to the neighbourhood of Iztapalapa, where we got to visit some of their sustainability initiatives, including Utopia Libertad, a cultural centre featuring a butterfly farm and an axolotl aquarium, home to some of these adorable creatures! Of course, a trip to Mexico City wouldn’t be complete without shopping at the markets, and my team and I have already enjoyed collecting little trinkets and souvenirs to commemorate our time here. 

I can’t wait to see where my next three weeks in Mexico City take me!