In the arid landscapes of La Guajira, Colombia, where poverty and exclusion weigh heavily on Indigenous communities, Rita Uriana stands as a symbol of resilience and vision. As rector of the Ishashima’ana ethno-school, she leads an institution that today educates more than 1,200 Wayuu students, while also weaving a network of alliances that extend far beyond her community. Her story illustrates the transformative power of Indigenous women’s leadership in advancing education, resilience, and sustainable development.
Rita’s life has been shaped by both challenges and determination. Raised in an urban setting of Manaure, La Guajira, but deeply rooted in her ancestral Wayuu territory, she experienced firsthand the difficulties of pursuing higher education in Colombia. Later on, economic barriers and cultural differences made it difficult for her to remain at the National University in Bogotá, and she eventually returned to La Guajira. What could have been the end of her educational path instead became the starting point of a deeper commitment: to strengthen learning opportunities for her own people.
She began as an adult literacy teacher, working with elders in rural communities. At the same time, her family and community realized that the existing education models did not reflect Wayuu culture or respond to their needs. Together, they envisioned and built a rural school. Through her patience, dialogue, and community spirit—what many describe as her “sweet word”—Rita gained the trust of traditional authorities and families alike. In time, she was appointed rector, entrusted with leading not just an institution, but a vision for her people.
Her leadership has always gone beyond the classroom. Rita understood that sustaining an educational project required alliances. She mobilized her family, community leaders, and then built bridges with municipal and departmental authorities, private companies, NGOs, and international partners. In doing so, she revived the Wayuu tradition of alliance-building, transforming it into a modern strategy for community resilience. Her ability to learn through “trial and error,” as she often describes it, has allowed her school to grow stronger after each challenge.
Today, Ishashima’ana is not only a school—it is a center for development. Under Rita’s leadership, it became a platform for innovation through the Joint Programme on the water–energy–food nexus. The school and surrounding communities piloted integrated systems that bring solar energy, clean water, and agro-productive solutions to families. Rita ensured that women, youth, and community leaders were not just beneficiaries, but active participants in governance, management, and operation of these systems. The partnership with SENA (Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje) has further enabled young people to graduate from high school with technical certifications, enhancing their employment opportunities while guaranteeing that the community itself can sustain the new infrastructure.
Rita’s story is one of resilience, vision, and leadership rooted in cultural identity. She has shown that education, when led by and for the community, can catalyze sustainable human development. More than a rector, she is a creator of development in her territory—an example of how Indigenous women are shaping the future of La Guajira and inspiring new generations to build peace, resilience, and prosperity.
Note:
All joint programmes of the Joint SDG Fund are led by UN Resident Coordinators and implemented by the agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations development system. With sincere appreciation for the contributions from the European Union and Governments of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland for a transformative movement towards achieving the SDGs by 2030.
