On the Road: From Barranquilla to Bogotá with GitLab Foundation
In February 2025, GitLab Foundation team members traveled to Barranquilla, Medellín, and Bogotá, Colombia, to strengthen grantee relationships, connect with new partners, and experience the country’s rich culture. The visit provided valuable insights into Colombia’s challenges and opportunities, which will continue to inform and strengthen strategies to support grantees more effectively.
Strengthening Partnerships and Engaging with Grantees
In Barranquilla, the team connected with Fundación Santo Domingo, a key strategic partner focused on economic mobility and development for migrants, informal workers, and youth. The Fundación Santo Domingo’s program areas include early childcare, land conservation, reproductive health and urban development. This meeting strengthened ties and offered a deeper understanding of Colombia’s philanthropic landscape.
The team also visited grantee Kuepa Edutech, which equips underserved populations with skills for upwardly mobile careers in hospitality and ecotourism. During the visit, the team joined a field trip to a coffee farm, where Kuepa Edutech’s trainees gain hands-on experience in coffee production and tourism. GitLab Foundation team members participated as taste testers and learned about the coffee-making process from berry to bean. They also heard firsthand from trainees, including a Venezuelan migrant and a graduate who successfully secured a job at a Marriott hotel.
"Watching students share their culture and heritage through coffee while gaining skills for formal employment in tourism was a powerful reminder of why our work matters,” said GitLab Foundation Philanthropic Partnerships Manager Samii Willeford. “It strengthened my connection to the GitLab Foundation’s mission and the transformative impact of creating opportunities for all.”
Makaia, another grantee that supports social development through technology and innovation, met with the team in an engaging meeting. The Foundation team gained valuable insight into Makaia’s case management and scholarship programs, which provide critical support to participants in combination with career training.
In Bogotá, the team met with partners Building Markets, Chemonics International, Fundación Colombia Incluyente, Innpactia and Lumni. Insights from these organizations introduced new opportunities into economic opportunity and employment strategies for GitLab Foundation’s work in Colombia.
Experiencing Colombian Culture and Understanding Key Challenges
GitLab Foundation and Fundación Santo Domingo enjoyed the Guacherna parade at the Festival de Barranquilla – a favorite moment from the trip. This vibrant nighttime celebration, featuring drums, colorful outfits, and street dancing, marks the start of Carnival.
Beyond these vibrant cultural experiences, the team engaged in critical discussions about Colombia’s social challenges, including a meeting with Barranquilla’s mayoral office to explore the difficulties faced by migrants. Colombia currently supports 3 million Venezuelan refugees and 6.9 million internally displaced people affected by internal conflict. Many of the Foundation’s grantees play a crucial role in helping these individuals build better futures. Discover how the GitLab Foundation is driving impact through its strategy in Colombia.
The GitLab Foundation has granted over $3.5 million to sixteen Colombia-based organizations.
The projected cost efficiency is $644 per person to double their income over their life (cost per DIL).
The projects are estimated to increase annual earnings by $2,597 per person, for a total additional lifetime earnings of $113,574 per person.
We estimate that these projects will impact 39,822 people.
