Teaching English in Comuna 13

From one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the world to a renowned tourist destination in less than two decades, the impressive transformation of Comuna 13 provides its visitors with a sense of admiration and hope.

It brought me joy to see kids running and playing so freely in the streets after learning that back in the 80s and 90s, this neighborhood was categorized as one of the most dangerous in the world. Its geographical location and narrow streets made this place very inaccessible to the rest of the city; this isolation topped with the internal conflict marked this place with a terrible past.

Its residents never lost hope and today this place attracts visitors from all over the world partaking in the famous “Graffiti Tour”; who are eager to learn about the history and explore the beautiful art that is present throughout the neighborhood. Many factors contributed to this drastic change but one in particular is the iconic electric staircase inaugurated in 2012, which won several international prizes for innovation. The staircase serves as an urban transportation for its residents who previously had to hike the equivalent of 28 stories home. What used to be an isolated, dangerous, and impenetrable neighborhood is now a tourist destination attracting many people from all over the world.  

I’m originally from Medellin but I had never set foot in Comuna 13 as it was an extremely dangerous and isolated place when I was growing up. I was just another curious tourist when I embarked on their signature “Graffiti Tour” with a group of other foreigners, none of which were Colombians. At the end of the tour you couldn’t help but be inspired by the huge transformation, the kindness of the people and the positive vibes that you could feel in the atmosphere. This is truly a great example to the world that change is possible regardless of the circumstance, the one thing they didn’t lose was HOPE.

I learned about Prime Project and decided to volunteer in order to connect more with the community; Prime provides personalized English and Spanish classes and they use a percentage from their profits in order to provide English classes and workshops to more vulnerable comunas in the city of Medellin. With the recent huge influx of foreigners in the area, most locals in Comuna 13 have taken the opportunity to open up business but majority lack the English skills to communicate with their new English-speaking clients. The younger generation is intrigued to learn a new language, communicate with the visitors, and also start giving tours around their neighborhood. Volunteers can help by joining the weekly English classes and support the students in their learning process, Prime also hosts multiple workshops and they are always looking for English speaking volunteers to participate in this initiative. Some of the students that attended the Prime Project were now able to give tours in English, which provided them with another source of income and more opportunities.

It is truly a very rewarding experience connecting with the community and encourage them. I’ve found they are very motivated and eager to take any opportunity that will continue to propel them forward while leaving their past behind, it has been very inspiring to see them learn a new language, which for them, means new doors of opportunities.

If you are planning to visit Comuna 13, as most foreigners do nowadays, when visiting Medellin, I would encourage you to also spend a few more hours volunteering for this great project, which in return allows you to connect more with the local community. <3