Threads, migration and community: how Frauenalia propelled the transformation of Angélica Martínez

Mar 25
4 min read

“Feeling imprisoned from the outside.” That is how Angélica Martínez describes her 16 years as a political asylum seeker in Italy, unable to return to Colombia, her country of origin. From that emotional confinement to becoming a project coordinator at BUNT Stiftung and the creator of Lila Papaya, her path is pure migrant alchemy. But the real miracle happened at Frauenalia, where a vocation for ontological coaching emerged out of silence.

A jar of destinies: when Berlin chose for her

She arrived in Rome from Bogotá, fleeing violence. Sixteen years “imprisoned from the outside” – the metaphor that haunted her. Years later, her mother returned to Colombia, but Angélica stayed because she felt it was not yet her time to go back. “Migration hits hard and differently in every heart,” she says with the kind of honesty that disarms.

Finally free – because she could now leave Italy – she filled a jar with slips of paper on which different cities were written: Dublin, London, Berlin and Porto. Berlin came out. Angélica arrived in the German capital on April 29, straight into the city’s May 1 celebrations. She then had a month to breathe, found a job where she could work in English, and forged “soul siblings.” But later, alone and after a romantic breakup, came the brutal collision: the German language and local culture, “incompatible opposite poles.”

Pandemic: when confinement became rebirth

Angélica worked in the hotel reception at night, in order to avoid having to speak German as much as possible. Then the pandemic shut everything down. Without an indefinite contract, she discovered the Agentur für Arbeit. That pause became her blank canvas.

Some time later she heard about Frauenalia and its program “Intercultural Working Lab,” which felt like an opportunity to reinvent herself. In the program she met women who went straight into her heart.

“The LAB was my revelation from day 1. I saw myself surrounded by women who entered my heart immediately. In that space we opened up in the most honest way I have ever seen in a work group. We were all in a similar situation and I think that is why the LAB was a success, since it was aimed at a community that needed it.”

There, in the midst of confessions, Claudia Zuleta, the program’s coach, changed everything. Her group and one‑on‑one sessions were “literal falling‑in‑love moments.” “I looked at her and thought: I want to be like her. Help people evolve from love, with method and professionalism.” That arrow shot with coaching was no coincidence. It was revelation. Frauenalia gave her the safe space to name what was beating inside: “There is an Angélica who needs to evolve.”

Ontological coaching: from admiring Claudia to studying without stopping

Frauenalia didn’t just surround her with women; it showed her the transformative power of coaching. “I experienced it in my own skin and in my fellow participants,” she says. Claudia – with the kind of gaze that sees, understands and holds – was the trigger. But the whole LAB was school: a community acting as a safety net, with feedback that revealed dormant talents.

“I learned that moving forward together is safer and more beautiful than going alone.”

Angelica then decided to study ontological coaching online while holding a mini‑job. The pandemic, which locked down the world, set her free. Each class was a brick in her new professional identity. Frauenalia gave her the courage to believe she was capable.

Lila Papaya: when the threads started speaking

Weeks after starting the LAB, a “gifted” embroidery hoop revived the memory of her grandmother, the dressmaker, and her mother, the embroiderer. “That embroidery hoop fed my soul, made me feel lifted even while locked in,” she recalls. She brought some pieces to Frauenalia and Clara, one of her fellow participants, told her: “The world needs to see your work and it needs to see you.” And from there came the idea of creating an Instagram account to show her work.

That is how Lila Papaya was born. It started as an embroidery account but over time became what it is today: a multifaceted project in which Angélica weaves together coaching, personal development and embroidery as a mindfulness tool and as her way of showing the world she carries inside.

BUNT: where German stopped being the enemy

Today she also coordinates projects at BUNT Stiftung – in German. “It is my linguistic comfort zone,” she celebrates. She is measured by results, not by accent. Each space has its “dictionary”; BUNT masters it. There she supports people who are vulnerable in the labor market through a coach’s gaze: Angélica helps them find themselves, understand themselves and chart paths.

Her message to migrant women: self‑compassion + action

To migrant women, Angélica advises: “Practice self‑compassion, but take concrete steps.” Migration rebuilds professional identities. “Speak to yourselves with respect. I know this takes time.”

“For me, a woman shining is not about doing more, but about letting go of guilt, accepting herself, giving herself time and trusting her own process. When that happens, things inside line up a bit better. And from there, the outside also blooms, whether it’s a project, a decision or even a finished embroidery piece reminding you that you are capable of creating and sustaining something of your own.”

Frauenalia: where Angélica found herself

Frauenalia was a pandemic sanctuary. Ontological coaching grew out of the LAB. From women like Claudia and Clara came her faith in community. It did not give her answers; it gave her space to listen to her own voice – in Spanish, among migrant sisters.

“I want women to move from doubt to action. To identify blockages. To act even with fear. Not alone, because community changes everything. If one woman takes a step because of my message, then telling my story has been worth every single word.”

BUNT and Lila Papaya are the ripe fruits of Angélica: professional stability + threads that heal. “10 Frauen, 10 Stimmen” shouts in her voice: rebirth is possible. Together. Step by step.