Children's Rights
Last week Emily and I supported our flatmates and co-workers Laura and Maria Jose in facilitating a mural based on the theme of children's rights with the children in Socio Vivineda. Many familiar faces from our cmap Art Club turned up on both days along with lots of other children from the community.
"La cancha" steps, before and after the 2-day painting process
PROCESS DAY 1, MORNING:
On day 1 we first of all prepared the space, cleaning the steps of the football pitch that is the centre of the children's community: marking out the pyriamid section to be painted in the centre of the steps and laying down the base white and yellow layers of paint. Children from our Art Club group, Ronald's football group, the JUCONI families and the community in general were all really excited to join in with all stages of the day and were especially delighted as the paint brushes were handed out.
1. Cleaning
2. Measuring and marking the working areas
3. Painting the base white layer
4. Painting the base yellow layer
(a little visitor we adopted for a lunchtime!)
PROCESS DAY 1, AFTERNOON:
As the yellow painting came to a finish in the background, the children participated in a workshop in the middle of the football pitch where they talked about what their rights as children are and used reference imagery to help them create drawings and phrases that can be used within the mural. 
PROCESS DAY 2:
On the morning of Day 2 the words were laid out in masking tape and in the afternoon a huge number of children helped out, some painting over the inner pyriamid of words completely whilst others painted scenes of children and families in the outer pyramid. At the very end, peeling off the masking tape, the words showed through in bright yellow and it was the moment for a photoshoot with all the children and facilitators.
1. Emily's colour expertise came in handy in choosing 3 colours that would look good on top of the yellow base and also mix well with one another!
2. Making sure that the area where the words are marked out in masking tape is completely painted over.
3. The magic moment of peeling off the layers of masking tape to reveal the words
3. The final steps!
The phrases we had heard most often in Day 1's workshop, revealed:
To laugh
To enjoy ourselves
To go to the doctor
To be with our families
To play
To learn
That they feed us
That they take care of us
3. Making sure to clean ourselves up afterwords...
4. …in time for the celebratory photo shoot:
Emily (third from right) and I representing The Charlotte Miller Art Project with our JUCONI workmates at the end of a very happy and creative 2 days!
Thank you to Laura and Maria Jose and the organisation they volunteer for, América Solidaria, for organising the event, the space and funding and for inviting Emily and I as cmap to collaborate with the plan of how to realise the creative and practical aspects.
And thanks too to my old friend from Sustainable Bolivia, Teresa Forbes, for being such an amazing last minute helper, coming straight off a 9-hour overnight busride from Quito into work with JUCONI in the sectors!
The kids concentration and enthusiam was astonishing throughout these 2 days and the whole experience gave a lot of joy to all of us.
:-)
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