In February 2025, the Pies Descalzos Foundation schools in Barranquilla and Cartagena became living canvases thanks to the talent of Colombian artist Liliana Martínez , a muralist renowned for conveying messages of hope through color. But beyond beautifying walls, her visit left a profound lesson: art also educates, inspires, and transforms the lives of children.

During her visit, Lili, who is now part of the Foundation's community, didn't just come to paint. She came to teach, to listen, to connect with the students. Her work became a pedagogical process that engaged the children in days of creativity and reflection on the land, nature, and their own identities.

While at the Nuevo Bosque School in Barranquilla, the mural "Diverse Macaw" was the result of an exercise where students imagined how to represent the biodiversity of their region, in Cartagena, at the Villas de Aranjuez School, typical birds such as the María Mulata and the pelican inspired another work that today beautifies the school's hallways, reminding everyone that art can also be a classroom without walls.

For many of the students, this was the first time they participated in the creation of a large-scale work of art. Seeing their ideas captured on the walls of their school not only gave them a sense of belonging, but also the certainty that their voice matters. Art allowed them to imagine, dream, and express themselves without fear.

As one of the participating girls put it: "I thought I didn't know how to draw, but Liliana taught me that what matters is what you want to say. Now I want to be an artist too."

 Liliana's experience reaffirms something we at the Pies Descalzos Foundation have always championed: arts education is fundamental to the emotional, cognitive, and social development of children. It's not a supplement, but an essential part of a quality education.

Through art, students were able to improve their teamwork skills, problem-solving, critical thinking, and imagining possible futures. It's a powerful tool for building confidence and cultivating a love of learning so that no one is left behind.

We want to continue filling the walls of Pies Descalzos schools with color in other territories: La Guajira and Quibdó

Motivated by the success of these interventions, we want to continue this partnership we've created so that, together with Liliana, on her upcoming visits, we can fill the schools of La Guajira and Quibdó with color, regions where art will continue to be an even more powerful tool for inspiration and social change.