This week we ran several key workshops centred on reading. Upon hearing that the reading culture in Colombia is fairly limited, we wanted to run a reading challenge to encourage the children to read more books. We put together a reading booklet with comprehension questions and a space for the kids to draw their favourite character or scene from the book. We ran two reading sessions with both one-on-one reading time with one of the volunteers as well as independent reading time. Children participated actively, and we hope that future volunteers can continue to run these sessions to encourage the children to read stories regularly.
We also ran a film screening of El Viaje de Chihiro (Spirited Away) a Studio Ghibli film. We chose this film because of its beautiful hand-drawn graphics and low-stimulation story.
On Thursday evening we attended a salsa dance class. It was so fun getting to learn some salsa moves and dancing with different partners. I spent the rest of the trip teaching different people moves. On the weekend I attended the chivas parade for Feria de las Flores, buses decorated with flowers rattling through the streets!
Hi! I’m Sophie Kleina, a Psychological and Behavioural Sciences student at the University of Cambridge.
I’m passionate about language learning and preservation, which is why my Laidlaw research project focuses on the Kashubian language- a regional and Indigenous language of northern Poland, and a heritage I’m proud to be part of.
My academic interests span sociology, linguistics, psychology, and education, and I’m especially drawn to work that supports cultural diversity, educational access, and meaningful social change. I care deeply about doing work that helps people, strengthens communities, and protects the richness of human language and identity.
I’m always eager to learn from others and collaborate on projects that make a difference- feel free to connect!
