This week we began with group games with educative questions on coloured cards and the answers stuck around the walls, each group had to go and find their answers. They also played a game called ´Needs and Wants´ where they had cards with images and the aim was to place the images in needs or wants, for example, is a bike a need or a want? Is a bedroom to your-self a need or a want? Is clean air a need or a want? The groups really got involved with these games and had a lot of fun, while learning little.

The games were followed by this week’s art activity.  We elicited from the group that the important thing to have in order to be educated, are books, so we made our own bookmarks.  Some of them took the initiative to write positive thoughts on their bookmarks, which we were very impressed by…

As always, the children of art club have been very happy, creative and dynamic, art club being a positive space where they can be children, continually giving us so much energy and motivation to keep on working and supporting them.
Occasions like, when a space in Balerio Estacio where we normally do art club, was not available, the kids were all waiting and eager to still have art club. So, about 10 children kindly offered their homes (these are homes with barely any space or utilities, where they really don’t have much, but are more than welcoming 30 + people into their home to facilitate art club). We all went along to the next home up the hill where everyone more than made do of the space, without tables or chairs, which didn’t phase them at all, one boy even used his shoe as a table to draw on! And many ran home to bring in their own chairs. We were extremely happy to see how keen the children were, and constantly surprised by their energy, enthusiasm and resourcefulness in order to participate in art club…

So, to introduce our new theme of the month we began with some general discussions and a quiz about what their rights are, leading into discussions about identity.

A great game we played was where we got them to go around small an obstacle course, blindfolded with their partner guiding them.  After, we discussed how they felt not being able to see.  The discussions after the game were really interesting and the children were very sharp, considerate and honest in their responses.  Most telling us how it’s scary not being able to see, and how it’s important you are helped by someone/thing you can trust, for example a guide dog.

Following on from the games, we went on to discussing about having an identity, and what that means to them, and also what would it mean if they didn’t have an identity.  They have the right to be who they are, to a name, a birthday, a birth certificate, and to have the right to be who they are, without discrimination.  So, we showed them our identity cards and they made their own…

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