Guardians Around the World

Inspiration

On International Women’s Day, we are reminded that progress is often sustained by women whose work remains unseen. We were inspired by the courage, resilience, and dedication of women who protect ecosystems, defend their communities, and expand our understanding of the world. The eight women highlighted in this project represent different territories and forms of leadership, yet they share a profound respect for the natural systems that sustain life. Their work reflects a long-standing relationship between people and the environments they inhabit (mountains, forests, wetlands, oceans, and even the exploration of space). At its core, this project is inspired by something simple but powerful: the commitment to protect life and create a better future for the generations that follow.

What we built

During the hackathon, we created an interactive storytelling experience that presents the stories of eight Peruvian women working in environmental protection, community leadership, marine research, and space science.

The project allows users to explore different territories and discover how each woman contributes to protecting ecosystems and advancing knowledge. By combining storytelling and visual design, we aimed to create an accessible and engaging way to highlight their impact.

How we built it

To rapidly prototype the project, we used several AI and digital tools. Lovable and v0 by Vercel helped us structure the interface and prototype the interactive experience. ElevenLabs was used to generate voice narration for the video, while Canva AI supported visual design and video editing. Google Docs helped us organize research and collaborate on writing the stories during the hackathon.

Challenges we ran into

One of the main challenges was translating complex environmental struggles into stories that were both accessible and respectful to the communities and ecosystems involved. Another challenge was selecting the women to feature, ensuring their work represented diverse territories and forms of environmental leadership.

What we learned

This project reinforced how powerful storytelling can be in making invisible contributions visible. We learned that combining research, design, and technology can help amplify voices that are often overlooked, and that highlighting real role models can inspire new conversations about leadership, sustainability, and gender equity.