For this post, I'll be reflecting on the past week, August 11th-14th, the sixth and final week of my LiA project working with Picacho Con Futuro in Comuna 6 of Medellín, Colombia. 

Today's LiA post photo is from the night of our final presentation, which includes members from Picacho Con Futuro, our makesense coordinators, and my teammates that worked on with Picacho Con Futuro with me!

What went well? 

Well, for starters, I would like to say that I am so proud of myself and my team for presenting our final proposal of Barrio Mío, Picacho Con Futuro's eventual cultural café. It's been a wonderful six weeks, but that doesn't mean it went by without challenges. For myself, from getting sick and food poisoning, to troubleshooting unexpected financial issues within the program, and just navigating being abroad by myself for the first time, I am proud of my efforts to put the best foot forward everyday despite occasional roadblocks. Additionally, I'm proud of my group members, as we presented the entire final proposal in Spanish, which was not an easy feat, especially considering how some came in with no Spanish background. 

As for the presentation in itself, many things were a success. Some things, such as my activities calendar, and the overall design of the café space were very well liked by the people in attendance. Others were less successful in the moment, but I think were still a success. For example, although the logo that we decided on as the "final logo" for our presentation wasn't well recieved, one of the other logos was a popular hit and well favored. Although it felt like a "failure" more than a success in the moment, looking back, we were there in Colombia to give Picacho Con Futuro fresh ideas and inspiration for their cultural café. As long as we accomplished that, then we've done what we were set out to do. 

We also had the chance to view the other Laidlaw Scholars' presentations, one with Fundación Sora in Comuna 13 and one with Platohedro in downtown Medellín. It was so incredibly inspiring to hear how proud these organizations were of their work, their impact, and how they work every day to inspire and transform the lives of the next generation. It's even more amazing when I thought of how there are hundreds of these social organizations, such as Picacho Con Futuro, Fundación Sora and Platohedro, scattered around Medellín, all with the mission of trying to make Medellín a better place and to improve the lives of those who live within it. It's thanks to the work of these various social organizations that allowed Medellín to transform into such a beautiful and safe city, and I couldn't be more grateful to have had the chance to work with one of them. These organizations are a powerful reminder that meaningful change is possible when people are willing to dedicate their time to making it happen.

What could've been done differently? 

Some aspects of the presentation were met with harsh criticism. For example, there were members of Picacho Con Futuro who felt like the menu lacked proper prices or cultural drinks, those who didn't want the tables repainted, those who didn't feel like the clothes belonged in the café, etc.. Futhermore, there were documents we linked in the presentation, such as a document of the supplies needed for the café, that were in english, which was a complete mistake on our part. In other words, this presentation was far from perfect, with errors that we should have accounted for. But we didn't end our project there. We took notes during our final presentation, and even after we flew back home, we still worked on the final presentation, fixing the mistakes that were pointed out. After 6 weeks, and a little bit more, we finally finished our project, and provided Picacho Con Futuro our official final proposal of Barrio Mío.

However, what I really think could've been improved was actually the format of our first draft proposal, all the way back in week 4. Our final presentation was viewed by people who we've never met and who have no idea who we were. As a result, our final presentation felt more like a proposal rather than a finale. Although I am grateful for the conversations that occurred, our final presentation was almost two hours long of back and forth questioning in Spanish, late at night with other makesense peers present. In my opinion, I felt that this should've been in the format of our first draft, as the first draft is the time to get feedback for a long duration; that way no one else would have to stay long except for us. Ultimately, I think this issue comes down to communication, where we should've asked about the format of the final presentation and pushed for a more in-depth analysis during our first draft proposal. 

What did I learn about leadership?

As I reflect back on my LiA reflections in the past 5 weeks, I notice that almost all of them focus on what I learned about myself through leadership. In week 1, I learned the importance of understanding the environment I'm surrounded by; in week 2, I reflected on my strengths; in week 3, I reflected on the importance of taking small but intentional steps; in week 4, I reflected on learning to let go of my stubbornness; in week 5, I reflected on feeling proud seeing our efforts finally come into fruition. But what I haven't reflected upon yet is the gratitude I have for the people who made all of those lessons possible.

I’m grateful to my program directors, to the children who welcomed us so quickly, and to the kitchen ladies, sewing ladies, and the women from “Mujeres Con Futuro” and “Proyectando Sueños,” who welcomed us so warmly and made us feel like part of the local community. I’m also grateful for my teammates and for the opportunity to work alongside people who shared this experience and contributed their own perspectives and efforts. In the last couple days of my LiA, between attending other Laidlaw scholars' presentations, to traveling around the city for the last time, and writing cards for each other at our finale picnic, I've found myself especially aware of this gratitude.

As I stated in my LiA reflection last week, our final presentation wasn’t the result of one person’s work, but of all the people, experiences, and perspectives that shaped it along the way. Being a good leader is partly about the effort I put in every day to better the community, but it's also about learning to acknowledge, appreciate, and sometimes lean on the community around me. My LiA truly would not have been possible without the people who contributed to our project in one way or another, and I know that everyone in these past six weeks have helped shape me to be a better person.

Final Reflection

It's really crazy to say that my LiA is officially over, and that I'm back in the United States. Honestly, sometimes it doesn't even feel real, the memories I've made, the people I've met and the conversations I've had.

From week 1 to week 6, we've done so much, from traveling around Medellín to visit various cultural café's, to meeting people within Picacho Con Futuro, and our final presentation. We saw Medellín's beautiful night sky line from the top of the cable cars and even got to see the sunset in Cartagena. We visited La Candelaria, Comuna 13, Poblado, Laureles, and Picacho (Comuna 6) all within Medellín . We got to see the famous flower festival, where I also visited Mercado de Sanalejo, a famous outside artisan and flea market in Parque Bolívar. And, I even got to celebrate my birthday in Medellín!

Truly, I am so grateful to have been a part of this program, and would highly recommend it to other Laidlaw scholars that are interested. It is an experience I will never forget, including the people, food, music, clothing, motorcycle culture, the shopping malls, and even the weather haha. And now, for the last time, ¡ciao!