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Fundación Espacio Creativo ENLACES, Panamá
At 24 years old, Héctor Olaya arrived in Panama with the hope of starting a new life. But just a week after returning to Venezuela, an unexpected invitation changed the course of his story: to accompany his cousin to a course at SANDBOX.
“When I walked in for the first time, I was dazzled. I had never seen a space like this, neither in Venezuela nor in Colombia. I said to myself: how does a place like this exist… and how did I end up here?”
That first encounter ignited a spark. In a matter of weeks, Hector went from being a participant to becoming a leader. He discovered a skill he had never considered before: the power to teach.
“I thought I didn’t like learning, but I understood that what I didn’t like was how I had been taught. At Sandbox I broke the paradigm of traditional education. Learning could be fun, collaborative, powerful.”
Among his most significant memories is the presentation of his first short film at La Manzana de Santa Ana and his participation in a photographic exhibition where his story and his gaze came to life in a real artistic space.
“I saw my name written and I cried. It was the first time I felt that my voice had a place.”
Today, Hector defines himself as a bridge:
“I am neither the beginning nor the end. I am the one who connects, who accompanies the growth of others. I visualize myself as a reference in education and as an ally of Fundación Espacio Creativo in the future.”
We celebrate stories like Hector’s, which remind us that sometimes, all you need is a space to believe and grow.