This week has been a bit of a rollercoaster. It has been busy and marked by ups and downs. Overall, though, I am excited for the upcoming weeks.

Monday, July 15^th was a tough day for me. I was feeling terrible with my head; tormented by headaches, low energy, and a sad mood. While I am aware that I am still recovering from my head injury, I was not expecting to struggle this much right after a restful weekend.

Luckily, we had a short day, spending time at our main workspace Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana (UPB). The objective was to learn about community building together with planning for a volunteer strategy. My main takeaway was the ‘Design for Belonging’ method that emphasises the importance of ‘designing’ experiences for belonging. I believe that this is an under-valued and under-recognised aspect of much project work I have done in the past. Essentially, a ‘good’ project is one that the participating people feel a sense of belonging to.

Tuesday, July 16^th started more energized for me. We had some free time in the morning before our first visit to Picacho Con Futuro. I managed to be mindful of my head while also finishing my unfinished to-dos. This must be one of the best feelings (!).

In the afternoon, David, Oliver, Rachel, and I took an Uber to Picacho. The travel there is about a 30-minute drive into the mountains, and I kid you not, we were driving STRAIGHT uphill… if the car slowed down just a bit, we would tilt backward.

Picacho is very different from where we live in Medellín. The area is poorer, there are lots of stray dogs, distinct and different smells, and the heat hits differently here. Adrián, our main contact person, showed us around the space of the organisation which felt familiar and homey, somehow. It is a nice, big space with different rooms designated for different activities.

After drinking the best agua panela lemonade I have ever tasted, we had our first meeting. It was a bit overwhelming; we asked many questions with the help of translation from David, Dyllan, and Alison (two youth volunteers at Picacho).

I left the meeting thinking (and fearing) that our main task would be to develop and implement sustainable solutions in the organisation such as water purification systems and solar panels. This task felt overwhelming and way beyond my know-how. On the drive home, I remember hoping that some mutual understanding of the direction of the project could be found because the people in Picacho are truly amazing.

 Picacho Con Futuro: Oliver, Rachel, Otilia, and Adrían

Wednesday, July 17^th was a group field trip to Picacho. We saw the incredible landscape and heard about its history when walking through native forests. This day re-reminded me of the cherished connection between the people and the land here. Simultaneously, I re-discovered my attachment to my home soil, Tierra. To explain, I instantly felt safe in the one area of the native forest where big pine trees grew. When I shared this, I was told that the pine trees were marks of colonialism and threatened the entire ecosystem of the native land. I cannot shake the feeling of how “right” they felt to me at first sight simply because they are the primary fauna in Denmark, Sweden, and Scotland, the landscapes that resemble home to me.

 The Native Forest

Thursday, July 18^th was a turning point for me this week. I was feeling nervous from the start. At midday, we were going to recruit volunteers at a cultural fair on campus. I was nervous about whether people would be interested in chatting about Denmark and joining our projects – never had I thought that Danish licorice and rye bread would be my best icebreaker to talk to strangers. The nervousness settled as the conversations flourished.

In the afternoon, our second visit to Picacho awaited us, and this time without David. I was nervous about our “empty-handedness” as we did not have solar panels with us. Adrián warmly welcomed us and hopefully asked us, so: Cuales son tus ideas? What are your ideas? We fumbled with amputated Spanish phrases, trying to explain that we were unsure what and how we could bring more sustainability into the organsiation with our limited capacities. The major turning point was when we realised that Adrián wished for us to focus on education and sustainability for the children in Picacho. No words can describe how relieved I felt. On these more common grounds, ideas bounced back and forth and transcended the language barrier. This was a productive day and helped me realise that within all obstacles, ranging from recruiting volunteers to Spanish skills, lie opportunities to learn. 

Picacho Con Futuro: Laidlaw Team, Adrían, and children of Picacho

Friday, July 19^th ended on a good note. Like last week, I am grateful for the community that I am working with. Especially, Daniela’s and David’s guiding support through make_sense is inspirational and immeasurable to me. This week’s activities have proven the integrity of their work, both methodologically and practically. By this, I mean that the methodological approach we are taught shines through how they act in practice. We spent the day at the UPB, evaluating our current process while also embracing the next steps of our project planning. The discussions were difficult but necessary for us to turn our aspirations into actions. I am excited to work further on this during the weekend and to designate roles and responsibilities between us through honest communication.

We ended with Foodie Friday which is my new favourite concept. We went for a wonderful dinner with loads of homemade and home-brewed veggie/vegan options – the vegetables here are oh-so full of texture and taste. The restaurant had an event with live Traditional Carribian-Colombian music wherein we joined to dance. Though I am challenged by the Latin (and all other) rhythms, the collective laughter guided me through the moves. Just like this entire week, they are obstacles full of opportunities to learn.

Foodie Friday