María Elena
Pulido

Biography

Elena, a native of the Colombian páramos, was born in May 1982 at her parents' house in Pantano de Arce, Subachoque, a small village located in the transition zone of the cloud forests-páramo of Páramo de Guerrero. Still a teenager, at the age of 15, she had her first daughter and began a new life as a wife and mother. Due to the responsibilities of her new family, Elena had to suspend her studies to work in different activities in the field. However, she never gave up her desire to continue learning and was able to return to her studies obtaining her bachelor's degree in 2012. Her tenacity, leadership and love for her land have led her to be an inspirational and transformative rural leader within her community. She represents the peasant women of the municipality in the council for women’s equality and inclusion and together with her daughters she has led very important reforestation projects for the region. In addition to her role as the legal representative of ASOARCE, Elena has held positions as secretary of the Community Action Board and the Aqueduct of her village.