Chocolate Hope: A Mission to Develop Sustainable Agriculture in Colombia

39 comments on “Chocolate Hope: A Mission to Develop Sustainable Agriculture in Colombia”

1. Listening to this podcast helped me see how entrepreneurship can be used as a powerful tool for long-term change. Climate change and crop disease in Africa have affected global cacao production, which is now opening unexpected opportunities for remote communities like La Argentina, a small village in the mountains of Colombia. What stood out to me most was how Olivia chose to move away from short-term aid and instead focused on building self-sufficiency through cacao farming – helping people grow something sustainable, not just receive support.

   It reminded me of One Hen by Katie Smith Milway, a book I read when I was younger but whose message has stayed with me. It tells the story of Kojo, a boy in Ghana whose mother receives a small loan. With a portion of that money, Kojo buys a single hen, hoping to sell eggs so he can pay for school. Over time, his small effort grows into a thriving business that transforms his entire community. Even though it’s written for kids, it introduces powerful ideas about microfinance and how a small start, combined with vision and persistence, can lead to real change. Olivia’s work reflects that same principle – beginning with cacao, but aiming to create lasting economic and social transformation.

   Another thing that stood out to me is how Olivia isn’t just thinking about building a cacao business, but about supporting the people who will make it thrive. She’s working to improve access to healthcare, provide infrastructure, and help Marian – the first graduate from the local school – attend university. Her efforts show that she understands real change happens when you invest in people, not just in production. It’s about creating a future that the whole community can take part in.

   Even though I’m still figuring out what I want to study, this made me more curious about how finance, agriculture, and infrastructure can work together to solve real-world problems. Olivia’s story showed me that entrepreneurship isn’t just about profit – it can be a way to build equity, resilience, and long-term impact in the places that need it most.

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   • “There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they’re falling in.” That quote by Desmond Tutu has stayed with me, not because it sounds poetic, but because it feels like the exact problem we need to solve. Poverty is often treated like a crisis that needs bandages, when in reality it is a system that needs to be rebuilt. Youth-led innovation is powerful because it is not afraid to go upstream. It is not afraid to ask different questions or find new ways to empower people instead of just helping them survive.

     That is what first drew me to Olivia Ospina-Lerner’s work with MOCA Colombia. She did not approach rural Colombian communities with a savior mindset. She listened and she collaborated. She noticed a drop in cacao supply globally and realized that local farmers in Colombia could fill that gap with the right support. Her approach centered around education, entrepreneurship, and sustainability. Most inspiring was the way she helped Mariam, a student from the same rural community, go to college and return home to uplift others. Olivia created a ripple effect. Her work showed me that real change is not transactional, but relational. It is about putting long-term tools into the hands of those who already understand their communities better than anyone else.

     That lesson shifted the way I thought about poverty, especially in my own community. I started to see how often poverty is misdiagnosed. At its root, it is not just about the lack of money. It is also about the lack of access to information. I read a Stanford study that looked into how to make financial education more accessible to younger generations. The research found that students better understood concepts like budgeting, saving, and investing when they were explained using pop culture analogies. For example, it compared stock market terms to music industry concepts like managing artists or ranking on the Billboard Hot 100. That study changed how I viewed financial literacy. It made me realize that education does not have to be intimidating, but fun and familiar.

     That inspired me to take action in two ways. The first came from an unexpected moment. I was scrolling on Instagram and saw a girl turn thrifted clothes into incredible, trendy pieces. It made me think about how many pieces of clothing are thrown away in homeless shelters. I started collecting worn clothes, especially from young girls, and turning them into redesigned outfits with help from local volunteers. One of the pieces I redesigned was a faded, oversized denim jacket. I cleaned it up, tailored the fit to be more flattering, added hand-stitched patches in bright colors, and incorporated popular embroidery styles to give it a fresh, fashionable look. When I gave the jacket to a girl named Kayla, she looked down at it and said quietly, “Now I feel like I’m worth something.” For many of the girls I work with, it is the first time they have received something made with intention and care. It is more than clothing. It is a reminder that they matter.

     I am also the founder of an initiative called Stockify, where I spread financial knowledge through everyday analogies. One of my proudest projects through Stockify was creating a series of short picture books that teach kids about saving, budgeting, and spending using beloved characters from shows like Mickey Mouse and Bluey. These books do not just teach finance. They start conversations in language that young minds understand. And recently, we reached over 35 underprivileged preschools, helping hundreds of children see money not as something mysterious or scary, but as something they can learn to manage.

     In both projects, redesigning clothes and designing financial literacy tools, the goal is the same. I want to restore agency and dignity. I truly believe education, especially when made culturally relevant, is more powerful than any donation. It is not that money does not help, it absolutely does. But the question is, what happens when the money runs out? If we have not taught the tools, nothing changes.

     That is why Olivia’s model resonates so deeply with me. She is not just helping people survive. She is helping them build futures. And that is what I hope to do too. Young people are not waiting anymore. We are building new systems, designing with empathy, and going upstream. Because sometimes, pulling people out of the river is not enough. Sometimes, the most radical thing we can do is help them learn to swim.

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2. It’s an inspiring account of how sustainable agriculture can be an economic driver and engine of social justice. The Colombian cocoa project is an example of how combining farming with respect for the environment and the community can yield many dividends.

   One of the things that impressed me most was the emphasis on agroforestry as a sustainable farming practice. By integrating native tree species and cocoa trees, the project not only enhances biodiversity but also soil quality and water retention. This holistic strategy is an example of approaches I encountered during my internship, where we applied the same agroecological values to maximize crop yields yet minimize environmental stress.

   The article also identifies the importance of fair trade certification as a means to ensure that farmers are paid a fair amount for their produce. This aligns with the growing trend towards ethical consumerism, where consumers are increasingly making purchasing decisions based on the social and environmental impacts of products. In my recent assignment, I studied consumer behavior figures and found that there is a significant relationship between fair trade consciousness and purchasing decisions, which shows the power of ethical branding to drive market victory.

   Furthermore, the project’s focus on community education and capacity building is commendable. In empowering farmers with knowledge in sustainable agriculture practices and business management, the project guarantees that the farmers are able to dictate their own economic fate. The practice brings to mind my experience at a local NGO, where we organized training workshops on entrepreneurship and financial literacy, resulting in greater financial autonomy among the participants.

   A question to the community: How do we scale up such sustainable farm programs to other regions with the same problems? What can be the role of technology to grow efficiency and scale of such programs?

   Thank you for shedding light on this fantastic project. It is a reminder of the life-transforming potential of sustainable farming when paired with a dedication to people and social responsibility.

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   • I found the way you highlighted the connection between sustainable agriculture and social justice especially compelling. I am also truly astonished by the nobility of Olivia’s mission to empower farmers, but as mentioned, even with certifications, many regions like Ghana continue to face harsh realities of unpaid labour or even child labour. It makes me wonder: how can models like MOCA Colombia not only ensure fair trade standards but also push them further by creating truly transparent supply chains and continuing to raise awareness through education – perhaps even taking inspiration from educational marketing campaigns like Tony’s Chocolonely, which openly raise awareness about exploitation tied to chocolate production? Focusing on those steps seems essential to me in order to ensure that projects like Olivia’s stand as true examples of transforming exploitative commodity into a vehicle for social justice. I’m curious how you see that evolving and what are your thoughts on ensuring that these standards become a real safe guard which can be applied more globally?

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     • Maja, the Tony’s Chocolonely transparency model is brilliant here. What’s fascinating about La Argentina is that 8-hour jungle isolation actually creates natural supply chain disintermediation. No middlemen to obscure labor practices. Olivia’s building transparency from ground zero rather than reforming existing exploitative networks.
       The scholarship for Wilmar’s daughter is strategically genius. Creating returning human capital to prevent the classic “fly-in, fly-out” consultant failure mode that plagues most agricultural development.
       Real question: Can blockchain actually maintain this direct-relationship transparency advantage when scaling beyond single communities? Geographic isolation works for transparency at small scale, but systematizing those relationships is where most projects lose their ethical edge.

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3. There is a saying in China, and it goes like this: “Give a man a fish, feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and he will never go hungry.”
   I think this quote resonates with this article because of Olivia’s mention of the endless cycle of poverty. She stated that the more help the people got, the more dependent they became. This is like going to the same man every day and giving him one fish — making him dependent on you for a full stomach. The man does not have the resources to fish for himself, and neither do the people of the Comunas.
   If we provide the man with a fishing hook and educate him about how to use it, he is self-sufficient. Similarly, if we educate the people of the Comunas and provide them with the resources they need, they can also break free from the cycle of poverty and build better lives for themselves and their communities.
   This is why sustainable development and education are so crucial- they provide long-term change rather than temporary relief.
   As Nelson Mandela once said, “education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Education allows us to think for ourselves- it enables us to be able to find solutions to our own problems without being dependant on anybody. Education opens doors and creates opportunities for independence and growth, which is exactly what the Comunas need to thrive.

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   • I’ve always believed in the power of education ever since reading about Ms. Honey in Matilda by Roald Dahl. The book serves as proof that one caring person can change someone’s life. In this case, I see how Olivia’s organization has acted as the Ms. Honey for Mariam by providing a scholarship towards her education, on the condition that she does come back to La Argentina and help the community. This condition, I believe, helps to create a cycle of self-sufficiency that extends beyond individual impact.

     Reading about Mariam’s story also made me think about my own family and how my parents always talk about the importance of education. They often speak about how much it means that their kids have opportunities they never had. But it wasn’t until I started researching global development issues that I truly understood what this cycle of opportunity could look like on a larger scale.

     During a Model UN conference where I was representing Ethiopia, I kept coming across a statistic that bothered me: most Ethiopians work in agriculture, but they can’t get basic loans because banks don’t exist in rural areas. While researching solutions, I found a video of a woman who got a small loan through a microfinance program. She bought a tiny plot of land, started growing crops, and eventually built a stable income for her family. The part that stuck with me was that she could now help others in her community do the same thing, just like Mariam would eventually do for La Argentina.

     This is what I think Olivia understood when she set that condition for Mariam’s scholarship. Education and opportunity don’t just change one person’s life, it is often intergenerational. When someone learns and then comes back to teach others, starts a business that employs their neighbors, or simply acts as a role model for kids in their community, they become living proof that change is possible. What if we measured success not by how many people we help directly, but by how many people those people go on to help?

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4. The impact that Olivia had on La Argentina was profound. However, that was not what caught my eye. Let me explain. What differentiates Olivia from other entrepreneurs is her ability to recognize that results are not the same as progress. She denotes this by stating, ” So, you want to help, but you don’t want them to become dependent on you.” Her efforts produced results which benefited the whole of not just the country, but the globe as well. However, there was no progress being made. As soon as she stopped doing what she was doing, La Argentina would go back to where it was. Olivia noticed that she saw that as a problem, and wanted progress, not results. This is what differentiates her from other entrepreneurs. This is what makes her truly great.

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   • I agree with you since I also believe its great that Olivia teaches important skills rather than temporary progress. Her way of teaching made an obvious impact on the state as a whole since it helped average people to learn a useful skill which is applicable to their life.

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5. While direct financial aid can be an effective way to treat poverty in the short term, infrastructure and access to education is a more efficient way to ensure the flourishing and thriving of a community in the long run, thus eliminating the cycle of poverty. For example, if a community suffering from famine receives financial aid that is invested into nutrition systems for its citizens, resources may quickly become scarce, as the provided assistance does not target the root cause of malnutrition, poverty, but rather provides a temporary relief for the suffering community. However, if that same community is given access to education and infrastructure (like roads for transportation, in Olivia’s case) in addition to direct aid, it would receive immediate support for its citizens while simultaneously offering them new opportunities to rise from poverty and prevent its return. Furthermore, I really loved Olivia’s idea of Mariam receiving financial aid for university only if she promises to return and help La Argentina, as it really reinforces the notion of giving back —a vital factor in fighting off the cycle of poverty.
   I think generosity and being involved in our own communities is something we really must not lose sight of, especially as young people. We are all the product of many people’s help and guidance, and it is our job to not only recognize and support the people who have shaped us, but also to be those same sources of confidence and empowerment for generations to come. Oftentimes, coming back to help your community is viewed as a setback, as something that prevents you from reaching your own success. However, taking time to serve those who have been your biggest fans and cheerleaders is one of the deepest sources of self-fulfillment—it shows you have worked so hard to not only be able to support yourself but also to extend your support to those who have loved and believed in you unconditionally.

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   • I appreciate how you highlighted temporary relief vs. long-term solutions to poverty. I think your statement about mixing direct aid with education and infrastructure is essential because it juxtaposes immediate need with systemic reform.

     I also really enjoyed your reflection about giving back to one’s community. Sometimes success is about looking back from afar, leaving home behind, but I do believe in it real influence is going back around, not away. There’s power in realizing your visions and then sharing that with those who assisted you along the way. It makes me think of how we can redefine success as collective growth and not individual progress.
     I appreciate that you highlighted the difference between short-term solutions and sustainable solutions towards poverty alleviation.
     I think your case for integrating education and infrastructure with direct aid is important because it addresses both short-term need and long-term systemic change.

     I also loved your commentary on giving back to one’s community. Success is sometimes depicted as leaving home behind, but I could not agree more genuine impact sometimes is really about circling back rather than onward. There is something amazing about accomplishing what you set out to do and then taking that knowledge and empowering those who helped get you there. It makes me reflect on how we can redefine success as growth together, rather than forward individually.

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6. The story of Olivia Ospina-Lerner’s journey at MOCA Colombia is a powerful illustration of how young people can activate a lasting and impactful change. But instead of merely giving handouts, she is focusing on helping rural communities in Colombia build a better future for themselves. She started with something as small as the cacao farm. In her mission to construct roads and spread useful information about the industry, Olivia is proving that real change comes from teaching others long-lasting skills, not merely showing the poor how to make it. Through her passion, creativity and dedication, she proved that even the youngest voice can help bring about change and a more hopeful, just world.

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   • I agree with your response, J.C. A. You captured the essence of Olivia Ospina-Lerner’s mission well. What makes her story so impactful is exactly what you pointed out; her transition from providing handouts to fostering self-sufficiency. Olivia’s decision to focus on sustainable cacao farming in La Argentina highlights a deep understanding of how long-term change is built: through education, empowerment, and infrastructure. Her recognition of the dangers of dependency and her strategic pivot to entrepreneurship reflect a level of maturity and vision well beyond her years.

     By partnering with local leaders like Wilmar and supporting students like Mariam, Olivia creates a model for grassroots development that uplifts entire communities. It is inspiring to see a young leader so passionately committed to ethical, informed, and sustainable solutions. Her story is a powerful reminder that real impact often begins with listening, learning, and working alongside the people we aim to support. Olivia’s journey is not only about chocolate it’s about equity, opportunity, and redefining what youth leadership can achieve.

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7. I’ve always believed in the power of education ever since reading about Ms. Honey in Matilda by Roald Dahl. The book serves as proof that one caring person can change someone’s life. In this case, I see how Olivia’s organization has acted as the Ms. Honey for Mariam by providing a scholarship towards her education, on the condition that she does come back to La Argentina and help the community. This condition, I believe, helps to create a cycle of self-sufficiency that extends beyond individual impact.

   Reading about Mariam’s story also made me think about my own family and how my parents always talk about the importance of education. They often speak about how much it means that their kids have opportunities they never had. But it wasn’t until I started researching global development issues that I truly understood what this cycle of opportunity could look like on a larger scale.

   During a Model UN conference where I was representing Ethiopia, I kept coming across a statistic that bothered me: most Ethiopians work in agriculture, but they can’t get basic loans because banks don’t exist in rural areas. While researching solutions, I found a video of a woman who got a small loan through a microfinance program. She bought a tiny plot of land, started growing crops, and eventually built a stable income for her family. The part that stuck with me was that she could now help others in her community do the same thing, just like Mariam would eventually do for La Argentina.

   This is what I think Olivia understood when she set that condition for Mariam’s scholarship. Education and opportunity don’t just change one person’s life, it is often intergenerational. When someone learns and then comes back to teach others, starts a business that employs their neighbors, or simply acts as a role model for kids in their community, they become living proof that change is possible. What if we measured success not by how many people we help directly, but by how many people those people go on to help?

   Reply

   • My thoughts could resonate with your point of view and this comment having read the book “Matilda” myself. I love how you have compared parts of Olivia’s story to your own and and at some points, even i could match them with mine’s.
     Even my parents have always taught me about the importance of education and it plays an important role in shaping the society and making it a better place and i could truly reflect upon those words once i read your comment.
     The article made me pause at the time when Olivia said “The more we gave, the more they expected from us.” i could match this with the woman in ethiopia you mentioned from the MUN conference.
     Your last line “What if we measured success not by how many people we help directly, but by how many people those people go on to help?” was really hard hitting and it was a really strong mindset shift from ‘success as a status’ to ‘ success as a legacy’.

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8. As a 16 year old myself, I am always motivated to hear the story of someone like Olivia not just spotting a need in society, but going the extra step and setting up an organization to meet that need. Olivia has chosen an incredibly impactful issue to work in, and one that requires an unusually high level of technical and subject matter expertise to execute well. The goal of producing sustainable cacao with infrastructure, fertilizer, and most importantly education provided to underrepresented communities in Colombia requires an understanding of the many issues and complexities of development. It is not only about a hand up but more specifically an empowerment of underrepresented communities to enable and guide themselves to a position of self sufficiency via a product that can be sold and sustained in a global market. This speaks to the unique qualities that young people bring to the innovation space: an unbridled creativity and perspective, not yet muddied by “how things have always been done”; a fire in their belly to change the world; and often a natural and unique ability to navigate the globalized and highly technological world we live in to their advantage.

   Development Olivia’s worry about inadvertently perpetuating the cycle of poverty is incredibly perceptive, and I couldn’t agree with her more. In fact, just last week as I sat down to enjoy a bar of Tony’s Chocolonely, I read their deeply moving tagline: “Right now there is slavery on cocoa farms in West Africa. This is a result of the unequally divided cocoa chain. Tony’s Chocolonely exists to change that.” I thought I knew about the child labor problem in Africa, but once I did a little research to confirm that that was indeed what was going on, I was absolutely horrified to learn just how bad the issue is and that children in West Africa are working 12 hour days on these cocoa farms when they should be in school. They are completely unaware of their rights and the fact that they are being exploited by their parents, by farmers, and by the global market in cocoa. For this reason, I believe that education and infrastructure can be so much more powerful and sustainable development tools than direct financial assistance.

   Colombia truly is an inspiration, a case study in what a single determined individual can accomplish when she puts her mind to it. As I just mentioned above, this project really emphasizes to me the important role that young people can have in addressing global economic inequalities. We are so fortunate to have access to more information and technology and established global networks than ever before. That means that instead of just being able to identify problems like the ones that so many marginalized people and places all over the world face, we have the opportunity to actually contribute towards building the solutions, as Olivia is doing with her vision to take MOCA Colombia not only to improve cocoa production but also to improve the lives of farmers and their families. I have a very personal connection to this issue and it stems from my family’s past as a Vietnamese person. My mother used to remind me a lot growing up of things she would tell me as a child when I was young about growing up in Vietnam during the post-war years of the 70s and 80s. After my grandpa died during the war, my grandma was left to support and raise three children on her own and had no choice but to pick up and move to the city to look for work. My mother, only six years old at the time, was forced to start selling candies to try and bring in extra money for the family. Of course this was done out of a pure desperation to help the family get by, but it absolutely counts as child labor. It was hard, it was unfair, and many children in these situations are traumatized for life as a result. This is a really poignant link to the global economic inequalities we are seeing today not only here in West Africa but in Colombia too, and it paints a clear picture of how desperate times will force families to make these tough decisions and how poverty perpetuates itself and gets passed down from one generation to the next. Seeing and understanding that this is a problem that is affecting human beings all over the world, no matter where they are from or the details of their specific situation, is why I think so strongly that young people have not only a responsibility but an incredible capacity to be advocates for systemic change and to help create a more equitable world.

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   • As an avid chocolate enjoyer, the topic of injustice in the chocolate production industry always brings me back to one specific brand, Tony’s Chocolonely. I believe that chocolate is one of the greatest desserts ever made. There’s so much joy and life that can come from chocolate in terms of how you enjoy it, how you can bake it, and all the different hobbies you can derive from it. Hobbies that I tend to enjoy. And yet, that same thing that brings so many people joy brings a lot of other people hurt and suffering because of the way they’re treated. As a Nigerian, I’m very aware of the inadequacy of the cocoa market and how farmers are treated. The truth is that many of these people who sell cocoa beans for exportation get paid so little that they don’t get the chance to taste chocolate for themselves. Tony’s Chocolonely is a chocolate brand that sheds light on the many ways cocoa farmers are exploited. It exposes bigger brands like Hershey’s that contribute to the ill treatment of cocoa farmers. I love this chocolate for two reasons. One, it is very good, and the flavors are more diverse than the big brands offer. Two, because of its mission. Knowing that people from my home are being mistreated is a sad yet true fact, nonetheless. Many places in Africa are corrupt, and it makes the environment not good to work in. However, people must still work. I know that many cannot afford to live a better lifestyle than the one they live. Either for lack of money, education, or access, the governmental dynamics of Africa make it hard for these countries to succeed. And when these countries are kept from succeeding, many citizens are too. Many citizens of these West African countries cannot sell their cocoa for more than they are worth because of the corruption of the government. Think about it. Cocoa farmers are exploited by big corporations buying their beans for a dirt price. Then these companies develop chocolate and luxury items and sell the product back to Africa at such inflated prices that farmers and many normal citizens cannot afford to purchase it.

     Food is very close to my heart, and it’s so disheartening to see people like farmers who labor the most so people like you and I can eat, be mistreated. We have to honor those who take care of us. Many Americans and citizens of other countries don’t understand the troubling weight of farming. The instability and the reliance of many resting on one’s shoulders. Even though chocolate is a luxury good, it is no excuse to mistreat those who gift us with resources to make food and sweets. Truly it’s amazing to see people who are passionate on a subject strive to change it and make a difference and Olivia is an inspiration to me in my journey for change in other industries.

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9. Amazing!

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   • Amazing Indeed!

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10. I was particularly touched by Olivia’s narrative—maybe more so than any other that I’ve listened to thus far. It resonated with me at a personal level, for it is reminiscent of something I see every day in my own country, Colombia: the silent strength of rural folk, the unfulfilled potential of our soil, and the necessity for young changemakers to fill in where institutions have failed.

    Living in other countries opens your eyes. It makes you understand that compassion isn’t limited by borders, and that your actions—no matter how small—can ripple forth and initiate real change. That’s something that I heard in Olivia’s voice, and something that I have seen.

    Colombia is a nation endowed with rich soil, diligent citizens, and a vibrant, defiant culture. Yet our past is also tainted by scars that continue to constrain us. The legacy of Pablo Escobar in Antioquia didn’t only harm our international image—it hurt our agricultural development and cut off whole regions from the rest of the country. That’s why Olivia’s efforts moved me so profoundly. Her dedication to serving farmers in rural parts of Antioquia isn’t merely charitable—it’s essential.

    In all sincerity, I was surprised—and inspired—to discover an organization that I’d not previously known about, particularly as a Colombian girl involved in humanitarian efforts with national and global organizations. I’d very much like to get in touch with Olivia, to assist her efforts in outreach, possibly collaborate, or just learn from her leadership. Above all, however, her story provided me with fresh ideas for my own journey—particularly as I start making plans for my passion project in 11th grade.

    What Olivia has done is no small feat. It takes time, empathy, and tenacity to research, to engage, and to establish an actual relationship with a community. To learn that a young woman not quite a year older than myself was able to secure partnerships with construction firms to construct roads, and more importantly, generate sustainable economic growth for farmers—left me speechless. This is the type of leadership Colombia needs. This is the type of entrepreneurship the world needs.

    And that is where the business lesson comes in. Business decisions today in the globalized economy are usually made on the basis of tracking trends and numbers. But Olivia’s choice to specialize in cacao wasn’t just smart—it was emotional and strategic. Prices of cacao have increased over the past few years, and there is a new wave of demand for high-percentage, ethically produced cacao in Colombia. She saw a market need, but she did not stop there—she utilized it to empower others.

    It made me think of when I started my own jewelry business in December. With the help of my mom, who aided me in researching Colombian accessory trends, I specialized in sustainable pieces such as handcrafted earrings and necklaces featuring rustic emeralds that had been ethically sourced from artisans around the country.

    Like Olivia, I envisioned a means of connecting business and meaning. We give 5% of our profits to three organizations that are dedicated to enhancing public health, increasing access to education, and safeguarding ocean ecosystems.

    Yet what I identified with most in Olivia’s narrative was this: the real dividend is not profit, it’s people. The most fulfilling aspect of creating something meaningful is engaging with the very individuals you’re attempting to serve—reading their stories, sensing their needs, and letting that awareness inform your choices. That’s where change starts.

    Marketing, networking, partnership building, and research are all critical business skills—but they only work if they’re fueled by empathy. That’s what this podcast has taught me. It made me want to continue, to continue building with intention, and to never forget that as youth, we do have the ability to shape the future of our communities. Thank you, Olivia, and thank you Wharton Global Youth, for reminding us—and me—what it truly means to make a difference in our beautiful country.

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11. Most stories about entrepreneurship focus on innovation, but Olivia’s story is really about restoration. She isn’t inventing something new. She’s reclaiming something that was lost, buried under decades of violence, dependence, and silence. That’s what makes her work so powerful.

    I’ve seen something similar in my own family’s history. My relatives are from Taiwan, where rural communities still struggle with the legacy of martial law. My grandfather used to tell me how, during times of hardship, farmers weren’t asking for charity. They were asking for the right tools, the right roads, and most importantly, the right to be heard. That same longing lives in Olivia’s description of La Argentina, a place without stores or a plaza, but filled with people ready to plant something meaningful.

    The most inspiring part of MOCA Colombia isn’t the cacao crop. It’s the way Olivia builds systems around it: roads to connect, education to sustain, a scholarship tied to return. It’s long-term thinking grounded in deep respect for the land and the people who tend it. That’s rare. It’s easy to help. It’s harder to walk away from the hero role and build something others can carry forward without you.

    Her partnership with Wilmar and support for Marian reminds me that community impact doesn’t have to be flashy. It just has to be rooted. And that’s what I want my work to look like someday. Not a spotlight, but a handoff.

    I used to think of finance as intimidating and far removed from service. But this made me realize how financial literacy, logistics, and even fundraising can become tools for rebuilding dignity and independence. Olivia isn’t just starting a nonprofit. She’s helping people reclaim what was always theirs. And that’s a legacy worth investing in.

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    • Eric, your insights on Olivia’s journey really made me see what she is doing in a whole new light. Focusing on restoration rather than just innovation is refreshing. Your connection to your family’s history in Taiwan really resonates with mine, as my relatives are from Albania and were also farmers during the Communist Era. They struggled, but only asked for the tools they could use, rather than pity.

      I agree that the true impact of MOCA Colombia goes beyond the cacao crop. Olivia’s sustainable approach respects both the land and the community. Your point about financial literacy as a tool for empowerment is spot on; it shows how traditional tools can lead to self-sufficiency. Olivia’s collaborative leadership exemplifies the spirit I hope to embrace in my own work, focusing on handing over the reins rather than seeking the spotlight. Loved your thoughts on this!

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12. What I found most impactful about Olivia’s experience is that personal things like family, heritage, food (yes, chocolate), can serve as the basis for any meaningful venture. When Olivia talked about La Argentina, not as a market but as a community, it reminded me that entrepreneurship doesn’t always have to start in a boardroom. It can start with an email, a trip, or an interaction with someone like Wilmar, and Olivia made it seem a bit less formal and more like an organic living partnership that was very much based on trust, mutual interest, and hope. For me—and so many other students like me around the world—this is a bit scary but also inspiring, and it is great that someone our age has proven that you actually don’t need millions of dollars of funding or years of experience in the industry to create change, all you need is passion for something, clarity of purpose, and courage to start. Her story reminds us that places that are isolated, like La Argentina, can go from local to global, when someone just looks at them through a new lens. That’s what makes the future of entrepreneurship feel like something that could be within all of our reach.

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    • Aarav, I also found it moving that the culture and community was the very thing to start up this mission. I agree with you that the foundation of businesses and entrepreneurship experiences comes from people’s own personal experiences that inspire them with a drive to implement changes throughout the world, especially in this circumstance. Even though the story had some parts that would get people to doubt going into the business world, it is important to realize that there are risks to take in order to become successful and if your heart and mind are in the right place then you will be successful. This story is a key example of this because in this story Olivia didn’t start with big funding, she had the passion to strive for change and that contributed to her success and proved that there are still good things about entrepreneurship and it is something that everyone should strive to be. Olivia is a key role model in this scenario and I hope it inspires a lot of people to have that same mentality when they start their business.

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13. Olivia Ospina-Lerner has promoted sustainable agriculture in Colombia through the MOCA project. Lerner demonstrated effectively and practically combine commercial interests with social impact to achieve true social change. The adoption of sustainable agricultural practices not only helps local farmers improve their living conditions but also enables communities to better meet the growing consumer demand for ethically produced products. From an investment perspective, projects like MOCA offer opportunities for social impact investment, where social benefits and economic returns can be achieved simultaneously.
    What particularly interests me is how sustainable agriculture can help communities enhance their resilience to climate risks. With supply chains increasingly affected by climate change, businesses that invest in biodiversity, resource efficiency, and soil regeneration may gain strategic advantages. I am curious about the specific indicators that Olivia uses to track project progress, such as increased crop yields, higher incomes for farmers, or reduced carbon emissions and other environmental indicators. These data may serve as important evidence to attract more social impact investment.
    Furthermore, from the perspective of fund-raising, I am also very eager to know how Olivia ensures the project’s financial resources. Did partnerships with social responsibility enterprises or government agencies play a key role?

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14. Olivia’s prioritization of building roads to address La Argentina’s isolation demonstrates a crucial understanding of market access as a prerequisite for economic viability. By tackling the “last mile” logistical challenge, she avoids the common pitfall of creating stranded assets, ensuring cacao products can efficiently reach buyers. This pragmatic focus on fundamental supply chain infrastructure underscores a sophisticated, truly impactful approach to sustainable development.

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15. What if the real solution to poverty isn’t giving more aid, but helping people build their own success? Olivia’s partnership with MOCA changed how I think about supporting communities like cacao farmers in Colombia. Instead of making farmers dependent on charity, she helps them establish long-term ways to earn a living, such as improving cacao production and opening access to markets with larger sizes. This reminds me of Amartya Sen’s idea that development should focus on expanding people’s real choices and freedoms, in addition to simply raising their income. Olivia’s work shows how giving people tools and skills can help them feel confident to make their own economic decisions.

    I used to think that aid was always the kindest response. However, when I read that one farmer told Olivia, “I don’t want help, I want to sell what I grow,” it made me realize that many relief programs can accidentally ignore people’s need for independence and dignity. Her story made me question my assumptions about charity and innovation. I see now that empathy – listening and understanding what people really want – can be just as important as providing material resources.

    While there are plenty of aid programs that focus on short-term relief, I think governments, international groups, and businesses should back ideas that help people stand on their own in the future. Olivia’s approach isn’t only a smart way to build a business, but it could inspire new ideas for development that put empowerment before dependency.

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    • Jeremy, I feel that your comment really captured the key points of the interview. I really enjoyed your emphasis on providing struggling communities with skills/infrastructure they can use in the long term instead of only focusing on short-term aid that wouldn’t truly help the community thrive over time. Furthermore, you added that organizations must not only focus on distributing their services to people in need but also make an effort to emotionally connect with them and treat them with dignity and respect. Oftentimes, people who have lived in areas that have struggled from poverty and mistreatment are in need of as much emotional aid as financial and physical. While it is often overlooked, empathy is truly the breeding ground for collaboration and thriving.

      This led me to the realization that many charity organizations may need to rethink their plan of action. While providing struggling communities with immediate relief and long term skills is essential, we must acknowledge that each community, no matter how poor and isolated, is a network of people with each individual having their own unique role. Thus, we must honor these connections when offering aid to ensure emotional respect, an essential factor in growth and prosperity.

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16. Olivia Ospina-Lerner’s story raises an important point of contention: What if charity led to more harm than good? Her account and her realization about the cycle of dependency while doing charitable work in Medellin illustrates just that; while the act of simply providing services – such as bringing medication or providing crucial medical care – may seem beneficial at first, doing so could unintentionally lead to over-reliance on external help for basic services, leading communities to fall into a vicious cycle of increasing dependency on the charity-givers. Her actions speak to how providing charity isn’t enough, but actual help must come in the form of fostering self-reliance. While the strategy and practicality of the efforts are sound, I feel there is a philosophical aspect to her efforts as well, which I believe makes MOCA Colombia’s efforts uniquely qualified to address the needs of impoverished Colombians.

    Recently, in an attempt to gain a better understanding of philosophical concepts, some peers and I decided to read Nietzsche’s The Antichrist, in which the author comments on pity and the actions of those who offer it. In section 7, he writes, “Through pity that drain upon strength which suffering works is multiplied a thousandfold. Suffering is made contagious by pity; under certain circumstances it may lead to a total sacrifice of life and living energy…” Nietzsche argues that pity serves to perpetuate and multiply suffering and despair within the unfortunate – that is, instead of uplifting through charitable acts, pity often leads to the weakening of individuals who need help the most. From his perspective, pity drains the drive for people to persevere and be resilient, trapping those who receive it in a cycle of despair: it leads people to be more dependent on their benefactors by encouraging inaction, while those who offer pity become spiritually and emotionally drained, slowly taking on the suffering of their beneficiaries.

    This idea parallels Olivia’s account of her time in Comuna Cuatro; medicine, food, supplies, and care were offered to the townsfolk with the best of intentions, yet community members began to demand more and more, becoming increasingly dependent on the actions of Olivia and her team. Just as Nietzsche writes, her account saw the community descend into a spiral of poverty. Instead of helping the community build up, it caused progress to stagnate; members felt that action became no longer necessary when their needs were being met, regardless of whether charitable efforts were accompanied by the community’s action or passivity. Why work for something free?

    However, Olivia seeks to break out of this cycle through her work with MOCA Colombia, an effort I greatly anticipate. Her work not only intends to provide immediate aid; she also aims to bring a sustainable cycle for community members by building on their beneficiaries’ agrarian background to cultivate cacao, work that is suitable for their years of experience. By doing so, she embraces an idea that directly combats the danger that Nietzsche warns against, and is what sets MOCA Colombia apart from the majority of charitable attempts; instead of giving handouts that encourage inactivity, her work with MOCA Colombia aims to build independence and self-reliance. Through providing their beneficiaries a foothold in one of the most lucrative markets in the world by providing work that is already familiar within the community, these efforts can truly help the inhabitants of La Argentina break out of poverty.

    I look forward to hearing about Olivia and her work with MOCA Colombia moving forward. Her story and work truly reflect both a philosophical and a practical approach to charity, one that has great potential for success.

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17. I live in the U.S., but my background is Chinese — and because of this, I have grown up with a strong awareness for how important the land and agriculture are to a country’s growth. In both China and Colombia, agriculture is more than just food and trade. It’s a foundation for survival, pride, and even peace. That’s why Olivia’s work immediately stood out to me.

    Reading about MOCA Colombia and how Olivia shifted from giving to growing — not just crops, but also community ownership — resonated very deeply with me. Olivia’s actions made me rethink what it means to support a community: sometimes the most meaningful help comes from knowing when to step aside to let others shape their own path. What stood out even more was how intentional she was with that shift. The way that Olivia connected economic growth with infrastructure and education felt like a blueprint — not just for business, but for tackling any challenge with patience and purpose. I admire how she found a gap in a global market, but didn’t rush to fill it. Instead, she asked, “How can this benefit the people here, even when I can’t help?” Entrepreneurship with this kind of mindset sticks with me.

    Olivia’s journey reminded me that helping people isn’t always showing up with answers. Sometimes, the most powerful help is making sure they don’t need you forever. That takes significant amounts of creativity, care, and courage — and I see all of that in MOCA Columbia.

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18. “Self-sufficiency is the greatest of all wealth.” While the man who spoke this quote, the ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus, has been gone for thousands of years, his words still resonate today. As seen with Olivia’s humanitarian work in Medellin, though providing aid to those in poverty is critically important, there are some unfortunate consequences. The moment Olivia and her family were unable to visit Colombia as frequently, the destitute people whom Olivia provided essential resources to were soon revealed to be tragically dependent on this aid. Helping those in need is a necessary duty, yet the truth is that giving resources alone is not enough. Without implementing appropriate education and infrastructure, vital help in the short term becomes detrimentally counterproductive in the long term. By developing and executing plans to empower these people to be financially self-sufficient, the root of their struggle with poverty is addressed, not just the symptoms of this problem. They may not be wealthy, but they have the greatest of all wealth: the ability to provide for themselves as a self-sufficient community, at least financially.

    Additionally, how Olivia recognized the decrease in global cacao production and how the people of La Argentina could use this gap between supply and demand to bolster their economy is extremely impressive. She saw a crop that was already being grown by local farmers and realized that the demand for cacao is at an all-time high, meaning that with the right resources, dedicating more of their arable land to cacao will be a lucrative investment they could certainly use. However, what is even more admirable and encouraging is that Olivia did not stop at convincing the people of La Argentina to grow cacao. She has already considered ways to make the community increasingly self-sufficient: providing trucks and constructing roads, partnering with firms to teach people how to effectively farm cacao, reaching out to nearby clinics in light of medical problems in La Argentina, and even asking law firms to assist in her nonprofit work. Donating necessities is great and thinking of a solution is amazing, but Olivia has taken it to the next level by tackling numerous aspects of the problems they face.

    Ultimately, the best solution is one focusing on the true issue at hand, resolving more than the symptoms associated with the issue. Olivia has done just that with MOCA Colombia, not just simply handing out resources to those who need them, but also creating avenues of self-sufficiency, so that one day these communities no longer need this type of aid altogether. She tackles socioeconomic disparity by not only giving communities what they require in the moment, but also what they require to escape the chains of this disparity altogether. Olivia’s story is a steadfast reminder that everyone, if they try hard enough, can have a meaningful impact on the world. If even Pablo Escobar, as a generally despicable person, has done enough good to be worshipped in certain communities in Colombia, we youth can make a difference as well. Let Olivia’s story be a reminder that we can all do something, and so let us do just that. Let us make a difference.

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    • When I first read this comment, I thought, “Damn, that’s a good comment.” But not because the ideas expressed in the comment were a perspective I didn’t expect, but rather an enhanced version of mine. Let me explain, I posted a comment on this very article on the self-sufficient goal that Olivia had. Essentially, the ideas in both comments were similar. This one keen idea caught both of our eyes. But this comment took it to another level and labeled an ideology on what was experienced. For that, I applaud.

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19. Aid never leaves a lasting impact on the communities it is meant to help. After the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the Red Cross gathered almost $500 million, almost half a billion dollars, in donations to build homes for Haitians affected by the disaster. They claimed to have built housing for over 130,000 people, but, according to an NPR and ProPublica report, only 6 built homes.^1,2 Similarly, the Millennium Village Project, which installed malaria bed nets, fertilizer and improved seeds, school supplies and infrastructure, access to safe drinking water, and basic road construction in Africa gave these benefits mainly to wealthier villagers, worsening inequalities after the project’s external support disappeared.^3 These are just two of many examples of the poorly designed, poorly maintained model for how nonprofits and other institutions provide aid to communities in need.

    The Global South is weighed down by debt and underfunded systems, and traditional charity models only deepen their dependency on external help. Overall, Dr. Jindra Cekan estimated that only approximately 0.002% of global development projects are evaluated after ending, which means that, essentially, no one evaluates whether outcomes and impact lasted beyond the end of the formal project.^4 Whether it be poorly executed aid programs, programs that fail to understand their target population, mismanagement and corruption (“phantom aid”), or cultural insensitivity, nonprofit organizations must reassess their operations and impact in order to truly create sustainable solutions for the communities they serve.^5 In fact, they must give the communities themselves, the people who understand their own culture and lives, the tools to create lasting change and to flourish.

    By creating MOCA Colombia, Olivia has taken the first step to break the vicious cycle of dependence that traditional aid creates. By partnering with La Argentina community leaders and members, who understand their situations the best, in initiating, designing, and running cacao production, she gives them a voice in what solution would work best. They know the terrain well, therefore being able to plan the best areas to build roads. Wilmar knew how to create the best strategy to increase La Argentina’s cacao production–as a villager himself, he understood the other villagers, the process, the climate, and many other factors. Not only this, but the funding Olivia raised aligned with the community’s interests and strategies. By funding Mariam’s marketing and English education, she helped Mariam learn how to, perhaps, market La Argentine as a major chocolate producer. By funding Medellin clinics, she helped plant the seed for a healthier community that could spend more of its energy and efforts on improving their chocolate production industry and raising their socioeconomic status.

    Olivia and the entire team of MOCA Colombia are an inspiration to and role model for nonprofits worldwide. They lead the way in giving the communities of the Global South the voice and tools to uplift their own communities. My only question that remains is: how will Olivia expand MOCA Colombia’s lasting, positive effects to the more urban comunas she worked with–and even further?

    1. https://time.com/3908457/red-cross-six-homes-haiti/?utm_source
    2. https://www.propublica.org/article/how-the-red-cross-raised-half-a-billion-dollars-for-haiti-and-built-6-homes
    3. https://failfestival.org/events/6-reasons-international-development-failures/?utm_source
    4. https://valuingvoices.medium.com/grow-the-002-2fb2c9bac526
    5. https://failfestival.org/events/6-reasons-international-development-failures/?utm_source=

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20. As I read this article, I was struck by how an easily overlooked cacao bean became the centerpiece of a powerful movement toward sustainable agriculture for Olivia’s journey. This example illustrates how youth-led innovation can be rooted in empathy, self-awareness, and deep local insight.

    What moved me most was her ability to confront an uncomfortable truth many nonprofits face. It’s the fact that even noble efforts can have unintended effects, and how she was able to adjust to the problem for long-term sustainability. I encountered a similar turning point through the Yakama Empowerment Project, which I founded to support Indigenous communities in Washington. We delivered thousands of donated books through a mobile library, only to realize later that many children weren’t returning them. This was not out of carelessness, however, but because for many, it was the first book they had ever owned. That moment challenged me to rethink: Was I truly empowering or just supplying?

    I still remember the moment that led me to this realization, as a girl whispered to me, “Sometimes it feels like people forget about us. These books are wonderful!” I understood how she felt. As a first-generation immigrant, I’d once sat in classrooms without understanding the language, feeling invisible. That’s when it hit me: for many of these kids, it wasn’t just a story they were holding; it was theirs, perhaps their first ever. Ownership, not borrowing, was what they needed.

    Since then, what started as a simple book drive has grown into the two initiative pillars of Yakama Empowerment Project: Housing and Books. I’ve led youth teams in repairing homes in 110-degree summers and launched “Read & Keep,” working with local schools and Indigenous leaders to ensure every donation is thoughtful and truly needed.

    But I didn’t want to just donate books. I want the students to feel included and seen. I want to be there for the students and accompany them. So I organized monthly virtual read-alongs with the children on the reservation, sharing titles like Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Big Nate, and Who Would Win?, the same books that had once made me laugh and feel seen.

    Now, the girl in Yakama can curl up with her own copy of Captain Underpants, laughing the way I once did in a crowded school hallway as I tried to fit in. That’s my full circle from an outsider to an advocate.

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21. “There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they’re falling in.” That quote by Desmond Tutu has stayed with me, not because it sounds poetic, but because it feels like the exact problem we need to solve. Poverty is often treated like a crisis that needs bandages, when in reality it is a system that needs to be rebuilt. Youth-led innovation is powerful because it is not afraid to go upstream. It is not afraid to ask different questions or find new ways to empower people instead of just helping them survive.

    That is what first drew me to Olivia Ospina-Lerner’s work with MOCA Colombia. She did not approach rural Colombian communities with a savior mindset. She listened and she collaborated. She noticed a drop in cacao supply globally and realized that local farmers in Colombia could fill that gap with the right support. Her approach centered around education, entrepreneurship, and sustainability. Most inspiring was the way she helped Mariam, a student from the same rural community, go to college and return home to uplift others. Olivia created a ripple effect. Her work showed me that real change is not transactional, but relational. It is about putting long-term tools into the hands of those who already understand their communities better than anyone else.

    That lesson shifted the way I thought about poverty, especially in my own community. I started to see how often poverty is misdiagnosed. At its root, it is not just about the lack of money. It is also about the lack of access to information. I read a Stanford study that looked into how to make financial education more accessible to younger generations. The research found that students better understood concepts like budgeting, saving, and investing when they were explained using pop culture analogies. For example, it compared stock market terms to music industry concepts like managing artists or ranking on the Billboard Hot 100. That study changed how I viewed financial literacy. It made me realize that education does not have to be intimidating, but fun and familiar.

    That inspired me to take action in two ways. The first came from an unexpected moment. I was scrolling on Instagram and saw a girl turn thrifted clothes into incredible, trendy pieces. It made me think about how many pieces of clothing are thrown away in homeless shelters. I started collecting worn clothes, especially from young girls, and turning them into redesigned outfits with help from local volunteers. One of the pieces I redesigned was a faded, oversized denim jacket. I cleaned it up, tailored the fit to be more flattering, added hand-stitched patches in bright colors, and incorporated popular embroidery styles to give it a fresh, fashionable look. When I gave the jacket to a girl named Kayla, she looked down at it and said quietly, “Now I feel like I’m worth something.” For many of the girls I work with, it is the first time they have received something made with intention and care. It is more than clothing. It is a reminder that they matter.

    I am also the founder of an initiative called Stockify, where I spread financial knowledge through everyday analogies. One of my proudest projects through Stockify was creating a series of short picture books that teach kids about saving, budgeting, and spending using beloved characters from shows like Mickey Mouse and Bluey. These books do not just teach finance. They start conversations in language that young minds understand. And recently, we reached over 35 underprivileged preschools, helping hundreds of children see money not as something mysterious or scary, but as something they can learn to manage.

    In both projects, redesigning clothes and designing financial literacy tools, the goal is the same. I want to restore agency and dignity. I truly believe education, especially when made culturally relevant, is more powerful than any donation. It is not that money does not help, it absolutely does. But the question is, what happens when the money runs out? If we have not taught the tools, nothing changes.

    That is why Olivia’s model resonates so deeply with me. She is not just helping people survive. She is helping them build futures. And that is what I hope to do too. Young people are not waiting anymore. We are building new systems, designing with empathy, and going upstream. Because sometimes, pulling people out of the river is not enough. Sometimes, the most radical thing we can do is help them learn to swim.

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22. As a huge fan of the TV show Narcos, and a fervent historian, it is extremely impressive to see how far farmers in Columbia, and even the country itself, has recovered from an era of violence and bloodshed. However, given that nearly 25% of all Columbians are living below the poverty line, Olivia is a genius for capitalizing on an opportunity which comes once in a blue moon. I do have to point out that she is literally taking advantage of climate change, which to some may seem treacherous – since we are supposed to be containing climate change – but to me it’s brilliant. Even if MOCA is benefiting from climate change, they are also providing to the needy and the poor, which I suppose makes it morally right. This is why I admire Olivia, as she is able to take a situation which everyone else assumes to be disastrous and make it bountiful, and don’t get me wrong we need to act on climate change, but it’s not as if MOCA is aggravating it either.

    Another thing I respect Olivia for is that she was able to identify an issue and had the initiative to solve it herself. Many times when we see a problem, the solution is just a couple steps away, yet we push it way, waiting for someone else to solve it, resulting in the issue not getting resolved at all. A classic example would be climate change, since global warming was identified all the way in the 1950’s, yet since all the actors on the international stage refused to take on the issue, it’s now a major problem. Olivia identified the endless cycle of poverty in her nation, and saw the solution to it, and was able to do research to find people who will support her cause, and alas create MOCA. This chain of events, especially Olivia’s bravery and initiative, is what impresses me.

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23. As a huge fan of the TV show Narcos, and a fervent historian, it is extremely impressive to see how far farmers in Columbia, and even the country itself, has recovered from an era of violence and bloodshed. However, given that nearly 25% of all Columbians are living below the poverty line, Olivia is a genius for capitalizing on an opportunity which comes once in a blue moon. I do have to point out that she is literally taking advantage of climate change, which to some may seem treacherous – since we are supposed to be containing climate change – but to me it’s brilliant. Even if MOCA is benefiting from climate change, they are also providing to the needy and the poor, which I suppose makes it morally right. This is why I admire Olivia, as she is able to take a situation which everyone else assumes to be disastrous and make it bountiful, and don’t get me wrong we need to act on climate change, but it’s not as if MOCA is aggravating it either.

    Another thing I respect Olivia for is that she was able to identify an issue and had the initiative to solve it herself. Many times when we see a problem, the solution is just a couple steps away, yet we push it way, waiting for someone else to solve it, resulting in the issue not getting resolved at all. A classic example would be climate change, since global warming was identified all the way in the 1950’s, yet since all the actors on the international stage refused to take on the issue, it’s now a major problem. Olivia identified the endless cycle of poverty in her nation, and saw the solution to it, and was able to do research to find people who will support her cause, and alas create MOCA. This chain of events, especially Olivia’s bravery and initiative, is what impresses me.

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24. If Olivia ever decides to list her non-profit organization in the stock market, i am definitely buying shares.
    Her lines ” the more we gave, the more they expected from us” shows her true understanding and perception of reality. While other teenagers are glued to their screens and mobile, she did not just want to ‘help’ the farmers, but wanted to make a change in their long term living and that’s what differentiates her from other NGOs.
    I am a 16 year old myself and i used to think chocolate as just a candy, but now i see it as liquid gold.
    Reading this article reminded me of the saying “Give a man a fish and you feed him for the day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Except that Olivia said “Forget the fish and lets build a cacao empire!”

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25. “The best way to help a struggling community is not to feed it — but to free it.”

    Olivia Ospina-Lerner is doing exactly that. Her story of MOCA Colombia is not about charity. It’s about strategy — building a roadmap where independence replaces dependency. By identifying the economic gap in the global chocolate bean market and equipping La Argentina’s farmers with education, infrastructure, and vision, she’s proving that even a remote shack-filled village can be a center of innovation.

    This is youth-led social innovation at its best. Olivia isn’t just planting cacao trees — she’s planting dignity, direction, and dreams.

    And yes, education and infrastructure are far more powerful than giving money. Why? Because money can run out. But when you build a road, teach a skill, or open a school, you don’t just help one person — you help a generation.

    As a fellow student with entrepreneurial dreams, I deeply believe in this model. I’m currently exploring how Indian rural youth can learn digital skills and become freelance-ready — not just job seekers, but job creators. Young people like Olivia inspire me to move from thinking to doing.

    We’re not just the future. We’re the force shaping it.

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