S Poddar
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are on a four-day visit to Colombia, at the invitation of the country’s Vice President, Francia Márquez. The Vice President made this invitation in the light of giving the couple a very relevant chance to get in touch with the different voices of Colombia: its elders, its young people, women, and in the light of enhancing the cultural richness and innovation of this country.
On the second day of their visit, Harry and Meghan proceeded to visit the La Giralda School in Santa Fe. The whole school was waiting for their arrival, and special performances and events had been organized to make their visit memorable. The students dressed up in their traditional regalia and performed some of the liveliest dances in all of Colombia. It was, however, an entirely surprising and tender moment that helped touch the hearts of Harry and Meghan.
Speaking to the chief executive of La Giralda School, Diana Basto, she said the whole institution was very excited upon the entry of the royals. “The staff and the children were all very excited to welcome them, and it really was a wonderful experience for all of us,” said the chief executive.
But beneath all the fanfare, it truly was a visit with deep emotional resonance for both the couple and the school community. Harry and Meghan spent time viewing around the school showing explained Diana, and included a visit to the memorial museum—an area of the school that educates pupils and visitors about lives lost during Colombia’s turbulent history of conflicts. This memorial proved especially poignant for the couple, who were able to learn some of the personal stories behind those affected by the violence and unrest that once wracked the country.
It was not only a visit for reflection but, above all, a visit that inspires hope and moves forward. Harry and Meghan planted trees in the school’s garden, which is an outdoor learning space and focused on environmental education. The royal couple planted two trees to connote growing, resilience, and a commitment toward a much brighter future of the children of Colombia. The gesture resonated with the community of the school, therefore reinstating the need for education and sustainability.
It was an emotional-filled visit. Recollecting the day, Diana Basto conveyed that the experience was memorable, not just for the students and staff, but also for Harry and Meghan. Their sincerity in taking an interest in the history of the school and going on even to physically do the tree-planting ceremony demonstrated the level of dedication the couple has to causes they engage in. Their visit has also been characterized by the astounding reception and welcome of the people of a community that found a light of hope and recovery in their visit and presence.
Prince Harry and Meghan’s visit to Colombia is just an assertion of an ongoing duty to social causes and concerns along with its concomitant urge to connect and reach out to linked yet smaller communities around the world. Their visit to La Giralda School underscored a continued commitment with education, cultural exchange, and never to forget their past to shape a better future. The way this whole tour goes, one can feel that it will only be leaving a deep impact on the people being met and greeted in Colombia, and on the communities in which they become involved.
