Inside one of the most innovative areas of Colombia

Visiting Medellin has made an incredible impact on me, both for how blessed I feel living the life I live, and how strong the Colombians really are. It is incredible to see how colorful Colombians, and especially those from Medellin are, and how they try to document their history and the development of the city. Communa 13 has always had a reputation of being one of the more dangerous areas in Medellin, however times are changing and the area has started developing in more than several ways.

When going to Communa 13, an innovative area in Medellin which has gone through two tumultuous decades after Pablo Escobar, I was already informed I would be impressed, yet I had no idea how amazing this area really was. Medellin has been named the most innovative city in 2013, and you see this mindset everywhere in the city. The city has developed an efficient metro and cable car system, allowing citizens from the mountainous areas to easily access central parts of the city.

One of the most remarkable innovations you can find in Communa 13, where the mayor has recently built several electric escalators for the local residents to comfortably go up and down their neighborhood. Besides an increased mobility for the local residents, this also attracts plenty of tourism, which increases the local economy but also certainly the security in the neighborhood.

But their innovation goes further than just technology, it is also a mindset embraced by locals to go about with problems. Just look at this pop-up garage, showing how people with the minimum amount of resources get maximum solutions. Beside the garage you see hundreds of containers filled with dirt in which they grow plants. These bins are painted with the names of people, to honor those that got lost in the tumult during the post Escobar period, since there were no bodies to bury. It shows the resilience of people from Medellin to deal with adversity, their desire to express themselves and the color, joy and warmth they carry within.

One of my favorite moments in this area was this little ice cream I ate. It was made from frozen fruit and the fruit juice. It is so easy to make, yet I have never had a literal fruit ice cream before. Sure, they might work on their presentation skills, but it certainly got the job done. Jummy!

Communa 13 is most famous for their murals, which are quite politically tainted. They tell the story of how it was before, and where Medellin is headed. They also have plenty initiatives from the locals, to increase the opportunities for children growing up. One simple solution they implemented to keep children and adolescents of the streets was providing Wi-Fi in the local library. But more interestingly are local groups that provide art and sports training to little children, so they have a social safety net and a place to go, in exchange for that they promise to go to school rather than work for their parents or hang out with hustlers.

This city has amazed me in so many ways, and despite that Communa 13 and Medellin still have ways to go to realize their full potential, this is certainly a place you want to go to right now.