Six weeks ago, I began my Leadership in Action project with Fundación SORA, a social organisation based in Comuna 13, Medellín. At the beginning of our project, my team identified three areas where we hoped we could make a meaningful contribution: activating the MediaLab, increasing SORA’s visibility and developing partnerships that could support the organisation beyond our 6 weeks in Medellín.

One of our main focuses was the MediaLab, a computer room with eight computers that was relatively underutilised. Although the children enjoyed using the computers, they were primarily used for playing games, with limited opportunities to learn digital skills. 

Over the six weeks, we designed and delivered a series of workshops with the children. We began with a cultural introduction, sharing aspects of our own countries and cultures while learning more about Colombia from the children. From there, we introduced workshops covering coding, AI and digital safety, Canva and other digital skills. We also moved beyond the computers with activities such as a reading challenge.

A second challenge was visibility. SORA does a great deal of work within the community, but we wanted to make it easier for people outside the organisation, including potential volunteers, partners, and visitors, to understand what the foundation does and how they can support it.

To help with this, we created new pinned Instagram content explaining the who, what and where of Fundación SORA. We also developed a simple website using Google Sites, bringing together SORA’s story, photographs, contact information and opportunities for collaboration.

Throughout the six weeks, we also filmed moments from our workshops and spoke to members of the foundation about their experiences. These were brought together into a short promotional video combining interviews with clips of SORA’s activities. Finally, we added Fundación SORA to Google Maps, including photographs and a link to the new website, making it easier for tourists, potential partners, and volunteers to find the organisation within Comuna 13.

Perhaps one of the outcomes I am most excited about is the relationships we developed with local volunteers from Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana (UPB). Sustainability was an important consideration throughout our project. We knew that our time in Medellin was limited, so we also had to think about what could continue after we left. We connected SORA with local university volunteers and had the opportunity to deliver workshops alongside them, allowing the volunteers to begin building their own relationships with the children and the organisation.

Alongside this, we created a partnership database identifying organisations and potential collaborators that SORA could connect with in the future. I hope that the relationship with the UPB volunteers continues to develop and that they can build on some of the workshops we started, particularly within the MediaLab.

Looking at our project, our work particularly aligned with two of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Good Health and Well-being and Quality Education. Fundación SORA provides safe community spaces that promote healthy habits and aim to create positive change in the lives of children and other members of the community. This includes providing meals to children through its community restaurant, alongside spaces where they can learn, socialise, and participate in activities. By improving SORA’s visibility and developing resources and partnerships that can support their work in the longer term, we hoped to strengthen the organisation’s wider contribution towards this SDG.

Our work in the MediaLab connected more directly with the SDG Quality Education. By delivering workshops in areas such as coding, AI and digital safety, and reading, we aimed to provide the children with additional opportunities to develop digital and other skills. Connecting SORA with local university volunteers was particularly important in making this contribution more sustainable, as they can continue to deliver educational activities and build upon the workshops we introduced. In this way, our project aimed not only to provide educational opportunities during our six weeks, but also support SORA in continuing to provide these opportunities in the future.

Looking back, I see the project’s impact across three areas: digital literacy, visibility, and collaboration. Although six weeks is a relatively short period of time, I hope we have created resources, connections, and ideas that SORA can continue to develop after our departure.