Mafer Londoño’s Mission to Heal, Connect, and Empower

Home is Where You Belong. Mafer’s Path Toward Integral Well-Being

Mafer’s trajectory is a story of resilience, permanent learning, and an unwavering dedication to community well-being. Originally from Colombia, the life of María Fernanda Londoño Penilla, known as Mafer, has been marked by a migrant experience since childhood, which includes Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela; the latter country, where she was raised and educated due to her family’s displacement and the internal conflicts of Colombia. At 61 years of age, she arrived in Utah, adopting a new culture and learning English while beginning a new stage of her life.

Professionally trained as a Social Psychotherapist with a specialization in systemic family therapy, Mafer dedicated a large part of her life to supporting vulnerable communities. She was part of the Human Rights Foundation in Venezuela and there she worked in the National Service for Minors and was part of the Hogares Crea Institution. 

In Colombia she worked with families displaced by armed conflicts and in the prevention and social reintegration of people affected by substance use of different ages. Her personal history deeply inspired her vocation of service, rooted in the very experiences of displacement and conflict lived by her family. In the United States she has a license as a Community Health Worker and a certification as a Peer Support Specialist, credentials that have allowed her to continue her work of accompaniment and community service.

WLI and the Power of Possibilities

Mafer’s enrollment in the Westside Leadership Institute (WLI) marked a decisive moment. Recently arrived in the USA and seeking to expand her knowledge beyond traditional academic education, she wished to learn about “a country where I had never lived. How it is managed at the community level… and to be able to understand how a Foundation works and what things need to be done.” Mafer brought to WLI not only her broad professional and cultural experience, but also her deep commitment to service for vulnerable populations.

Her time at WLI was not without challenges. Language barriers required an extra effort from both her and the instructors, requiring translations and careful attention to assignments. However, the constant support and encouragement of WLI instructors strengthened her perseverance. “I enrolled in the final year because one of the coordinators insisted, he told me, ‘You can do it, you have potential, we are going to support you.’”

During the final year, balancing her studies with the launch of Terapiando Foundation proved particularly demanding. Terapiando is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote the integral well-being of migrant families through safe spaces for psychoeducation, learning, community connection, and recreational activities with purpose.

Building Terapiando

Terapiando embodies Mafer’s vision of integral well-being, offering psychoeducation workshops that help people manage stress, anxiety, and improve family relationships, fostering talents, entrepreneurship, and uplifting recreational activities. Reflecting on the impact of WLI, Mafer highlights how the Institute “opened a door to resources that I did not know.”

She learned how to access resources. “I realized that it is not so difficult, that it suddenly requires procedures and things that we Latinos are not accustomed to doing.” She actively promotes WLI within her foundation, sharing contacts and inspiring other people to continue their education and develop leadership capacities.

Creating a Sense of Belonging Through Service

Through Terapiando, Mafer cultivates a sense of belonging among Latinos in the United States, regardless of their origin, language, or race. She emphasizes the importance of community cohesion in a country that may not be “ours,” but where coexistence and mutual support are possible. “That is the sense of belonging. I believe that regardless of where you are from, it is as if it were yours. You are from where you are.”

Beyond in-person workshops, Mafer expands her reach through a biopsychosocial and community-based radio program that gives a voice to different people who contribute to the community. The program has been active for over nine years and with audiences in different countries of Latin America and the United States. “Terapiando con Mafer,” now converted into a podcast, has different guests who contribute their knowledge and experiences to the community, including WLI alumni and instructors, who share stories of resilience and access to resources.

Mafer’s commitment goes even further through her volunteer work with organizations including: Educa tu Mente, Jacky’s Recovery Support Services, Voces de la Comunidad, Alliance Community Services, and other institutions. “Let’s say it is my therapy,” she reflects, underlining the personal meaning that volunteering has in her life.

Despite predictions of a decrease in attendance at workshops due to the recent challenges faced by immigrant communities, Terapiando experienced growth, offering vital support where access to professional counseling is limited. To reach those who could not attend in person, Mafer and her team created online workshops and live broadcasts through social media.

Learning Continues

Her community work has been recognized by 5 municipalities in Utah and by the Office of the State Attorney General. At this stage of her life, Mafer has decided to dedicate greater attention to her integral well-being, while continuing to participate actively in community spaces of psychoeducation, her radio program, workshops, and service activities. 

Mafer’s passion for learning continues without diminishing. She is currently doing Neurosoma training, an approach that explores trauma healing through the regulation of the nervous system. “We talk about trauma of the mind, but I believe that the body has cellular memory and the parts of the body show it through tension and pain. I am super excited about that!”

She hopes to expand the reach of Terapiando through better recording equipment, educational materials, and a dedicated space to offer personalized services, with the objective of sustaining the mission of the foundation despite operating without its own income as a nonprofit organization. Mafer’s story inspires the next generation of leaders in Utah by demonstrating how determination, education, and community commitment can transform challenges into opportunities for growth and impact. Her trajectory confirms that, with willingness and support, the doors that once seemed closed can open wide open.

This profile was researched and written by University of Utah students Joaquin Lopez Huertas and Hayllen Meneses Rosas based on interviews conducted as part of the WLI Alumni Profile Series. The series explores how WLI graduates apply leadership skills developed through the Westside Leadership Institute to strengthen their communities. The project is led by Dr. Stacy Harwood and supported by funding from the College of Architecture + Planning Research Incentive Seed Grant Program and the University Neighborhood Partners Community Scholar in Residence Program at the University of Utah.