My first foundation at the age of 18: a dream come true

Sounds pretty crazy, doesn't it?

You might think that's a huge responsibility for an 18 year old, and yes, you might be right.... but let me tell you how it all started.

Since I was 7 years old, I dreamed of starting a foundation that would help abused women and families displaced by violence. I envisioned a home full of respect, love and support to change the situation and transform them into their best selves. She dreamed of a magical place with dignified rooms, good food, counseling and jobs to promote her independence. But ... do you know how many years I had given this dream? I had marked it as a dream achieved at 36 or more years.

You can imagine my great surprise when I was confronted with the legalization of my foundation as soon as I came of age.

The beginning of a dream

It all started to take shape when I understood the cause of the anxiety, fear and distrust that families displaced by violence had towards technology. I was very curious about why they resisted what we call "progress" and so I began to engage with the communities, to understand them, to create spaces for dialog and play in which we could act. In this way, I gathered the necessary information to understand what was going on in their minds and what actions had triggered this resistance.

In the process, I discovered something shocking: The children did not want to play, nor did they want to imagine anything. The violence and harsh reality of war had robbed them of these valuable skills that we take for granted in children. They had come into contact with objects of war and feared that the robots were also tools of mischief.

When they arrived in the community, the children argued, they had no respect for each other, they didn't want to participate in the activities, they scolded a lot, they were so restless... they didn't listen and, paradoxically, they were embarrassed to introduce themselves, they couldn't say what their names were or what they liked to do.

Transformation through love

Out of love, we began to change this macabre perception. By playing, unleashing creativity, dreaming crazy things, jumping and dancing, we made the learning process safe and fun. The children began to accept me in their community, give me love and open their hearts. We started playing with LEGO bricks, and so they learned to build and program robots. They created humanoids, frogs and insects with the technical tools I gave them.

Semillas Robóticas: A light of hope

Normally, services for vulnerable communities don't go beyond soccer or salsa. So Semillas Robóticas was absolutely necessary to change that paradigm, and that's exactly what happened, because I started to create opportunities for them, I created a space where they could expand their horizons. I took them to the robotics, electronics and 3D printing labs. We played with NAO, a humanoid robot that was tested in educational environments with autistic children, they started interacting with 3D printers, autonomous cars, drones and much more.

I wanted to break down barriers and provided them with a space in a lecture hall at a private university to see how far they could go, even if they didn't have the means to pay for it.

It was trial and error, adapting the programs to the children's behavior until we found the best method to achieve the best results in their personal development, social and STEM skills.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a first step

I started with a group of 12 people, but the rumor spread in the east of Cali and more and more came, until I finally finished with a group of 30 children and adolescents aged 4 to 20 in the same month.

At the age of 13, I began to gather information from the communities to formulate the problem and the hypothesis. By the time I was 17, I put all my knowledge to the test, trained as a social care worker and acquired tools to improve my method.

Until then, Semillas Robóticas was a scientific-social project with several years of experience that nobody wanted to be part of because they said it was a very complex project with many risks. So every day I went alone with the robots to vulnerable communities, risking assaults, so that the children would not miss this unique opportunity to broaden their perspective in terms of their possibilities, not only in the field of robotics, because it made them realize that they had great potential and could achieve anything they wanted. They had a clear example: I also come from a disadvantaged community, and yet I have achieved all my dreams, even though I didn't have the economic means to take advantage of these opportunities.

Connection and love

A very strong bond developed with the children. When the interventions were over, they didn't want to let me go, they took me in their arms and asked me not to leave them.

The children became an essential part of my life. They shared every success, every project and every piece of news with me. They were part of my application and election as an analog astronaut. They were the first to touch my fireproof suit, they wrote letters that I could take with me on my journey, and they participated in some of the activities surrounding this wonderful research.

When I came of age (18 years old), Leonardo Camargo wanted to support the transformation of this social project into a foundation registered with the Chamber of Commerce. He encouraged me because he saw Semillas Robóticas as an act of courage and love.

I was no longer alone in everything, I already had a lawyer, an audiovisual manager, several presenters, an experience designer and my little brother, who provided ideas for new kits. Tecnoacademia also came on board and we worked together.

The challenge of the foundation

Everything was ready before the first half of the year. I learned the processes of setting up the foundation, prepared everything, set everything up and started working around the clock without my presence. I could go to my training as an analog astronaut knowing that the kids would continue to receive this knowledge, I could oversee the process and I got permission from AATC - ESA so that in the middle of the training the whole crew could be present and answer the kids' questions, see us in the suits and in the analog environment. They were all very curious and my team helped me to manage everything in the best possible way, for which I was very grateful.

Recognition and expansion

The media began to recognize the work done, other institutions wanted to join and contribute, so little by little my dream grew, even the RCN named me the godmother of Cali's dreams and the newspaper EL País chose me as one of Cali's leading personalities.

After my training, I joined Duvan Sequeira to renew and strengthen the versions of humanity, we had a bigger goal. We joined forces, our entrepreneurship and our foundation to have a greater reach. We were not only in Valle del Cauca, but also in Medellin, La Guajira and other areas.... Now this great cause is called XORI, and I must admit that it has been a great challenge, because it has made us work a lot on ourselves to give the best version of ourselves and thus deliver the best to the world with the most dreamlike possibilities.

A legacy of love and hope

Every day I wake up with the hope that the work we do at XORI will inspire others to believe in their dreams, to fight for a better world and to never underestimate the power of love and compassion. Sometimes I stop and think about how it all began, about the 7-year-old girl who dreamed of changing the world and how that dream came true in ways I could never have imagined.

Today, I look back and see a journey filled with challenges, sacrifices and most importantly, a lot of love. I look at the children we have helped and see in their eyes the reflection of my own hopes and dreams. They are the reason why I keep going, the reason why I never give up.

A bright future

The future of XORI is bright and full of possibilities. Every day we are working to expand our reach, reach more communities and inspire more people to join our cause. I know the road ahead will not be easy, but I am ready to tackle every challenge with the same determination and passion that has gotten me this far.

Thank you to everyone who has been a part of this journey. Thank you for believing in me, for supporting my dream and for joining me on this incredible mission of love and hope. Together we are creating a better world.

And to you, dear reader, thank you for taking the time to read my story. I hope it has inspired you, made you feel something and reminded you that it is always worth pursuing your dream, no matter how big or small.