Singer/songwriter Erika Ender’s a-ha moment came after visiting a garbage dump in her native Panama City. There, scouring among heaps of refuse, was a disabled girl whose toes had been eaten by rats. Ender, whose physician parents had long instilled in her a sense of giving back -- and who had long done community outreach -- decided there and then that she needed to create something tangible that could have a lasting and positive effect on marginalized communities.
She also knew that it had to draw from her artistic background.
As part of her Abriendo Puertas (Opening Doors) foundation, the "Despacito" co-writer launched TalenPro (Talento con Propósito, or Talent with Purpose), an initiative that fosters the arts among students while encouraging them to give back to their communities. TalenPro works as a talent contest in the fields of songwriting, performance, dance and video production, where, as part of the competition, contestants have to design and execute a project that helps younger generations.