Sara Martins Silva is Director of Innovation and Development at IPAV (Instituto Padre António Vieira), a Portuguese NGDO whose mission is to defend human dignity, guided by the Ubuntu philosophy: “I am because you are”. She holds a degree in Journalism and a postgraduate degree in Sociology. Her work focuses on designing and developing non-formal education programmes that build capacity in people, organisations and communities. She has been part of the Ubuntu Leadership Academy, IPAV’s flagship programme, which has reached 130,000 people in 190 countries since 2016, a journey that took her from participant to volunteer and, later, to its coordination team. She is also responsible for the programmes Ubuntu in the Neighbourhood and the Ubuntu Museum of Empathy. This path shapes her belief that trust is built through relationships and that leaders grow in community.