Ailen Mendoza
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1991, she moved to a city near Barcelona called Terrassa. After gaining a degree in history from the Universitat Autonòma in Barcelona, she spent a semester at the Torcuato di Tella University in Argentina, where she specialised in political sciences.
She continued her studies with a Masters in international relations between the EU and Latin America at the University of Alcalá de Henares in Madrid in the Latin American Department where she was also responsible for the communication and coordination of academic events. She also attended a course in coordination and development of cultural activities in Barcelona, and in the same year began to work as a volunteer coordinator for several music festivals in Barcelona.
In her home town of Terrassa, she taught English to young migrants as a volunteer. She took part in a number of cultural events as a member of a cultural association that organises firework and percussion shows in different areas of the city. Before coming to Matera she presented a cultural community project for her town, which was promoted and is currently being developed.
She arrived in Matera in January to work for a year at the Matera-Basilicata 2019 Foundation under the European Volunteer Service scheme. She was particularly attracted by and interested in the wide-ranging cultural programme which highlights the participation and involvement of people in various events. Involving the residents, not just as spectators but above all as local people taking active responsibility for the development of their community, is one of the pillars of this programme proposed by the Foundation.
