Meet the team

Yenni Martinez, president of Sembrando Paz y Esperanza, is a community leader whose life has been marked by hardship, resilience, and service. She endured violence, abuse, loss, wrongful imprisonment, and homelessness, yet refused to let those experiences define the future of her community.

From a very young age, she understood that life in Comuna 13 was shaped by poverty and violence. Her childhood was not protected or easy, and at times she had nowhere to go but the street. Even so, she kept moving forward.

While in prison, she chose not to surrender to despair. She finished her high school education and developed skills that later became part of rebuilding her life.

When she regained her freedom, she did not focus only on her own recovery. She chose to invest in children and young people in Comuna 13, creating spaces for education, support, and guidance that could offer a path away from violence.

Today, her story stands as an example of transformation. What began as a struggle for survival became a long-term commitment to helping others find dignity, belonging, and hope.

Sara believes deeply that the people of Comuna 13 should not be defined by violence. They have endured difficult circumstances, but they have also shown resilience, dignity, and the ability to transform their future.

The children of Sembrando Paz y Esperanza are at the center of that conviction. After living through one of the hardest seasons of her life, Sara found part of her own healing by walking alongside them. Their joy, determination, and capacity to keep growing have shaped her sense of purpose.

As secretary of the organization, she helps manage documents, permits, and communications. At the same time, she also serves as a guide and source of support for children in their studies and daily development.

Sara's work is rooted in steady care. She sees every smile and every small achievement as a reminder that love, commitment, and consistency can create real change.

Diego is a professional footballer and community trainer whose life reflects discipline, resilience, and commitment. Raised in Comuna 13, he learned early that football could be more than a game. It could be a refuge, a structure, and a path toward a different future.

He grew up surrounded by adversity, but he refused to let his circumstances define him. He trained relentlessly and carried that same determination into his work with children and teenagers in the neighborhood.

At Sembrando Paz y Esperanza, Diego coaches and mentors young players who are facing many of the same pressures he once knew firsthand. For them, football is not only a sport. It is also an escape, a discipline, and a source of hope.

He teaches teamwork, perseverance, and self-belief. His leadership extends beyond the pitch, showing young people that their past does not have to determine what comes next.