How magical to drive to work through a carpet of fluffy clouds flanked
by a smoking volcano against a crispy blue sky…. On my way to Chimachoy for yet
another round of workshops …
Upon arrival, of course the fist thing I noticed is that the wall IS
ALMOST FINISHED!!!! The parents and municipal “albañil” did a great job plastering
and finished all but four panels. Now it just needs to dry for a couple of
weeks and we’ll be able to start painting!
Last Tuesday it was the high school students’ turn to learn about
muralism and to explore their cultural identity. Just as the elementary school
kids, they loved seeing pictures of children from different cultures, but
defining their own was more challenging. Whatever we do everyday becomes “normal”
and it isn’t until we compare our own traditions to others’ that we realize that
what is “normal” might actually be quite “special” and part of what defines our
cultural identity. Another difficult concept for the students was that culture
is not just defined by ancient traditions, but also their own pastimes, their favourite
(pop) music or way they dress. But when thy got to draw different aspects of
their own culture, they safely stuck to the more traditional.
A bit more adventurous were the girls who got to document their culture
through photography. They took some interesting pictures of their environment
and came up with a fun way to show off their “cortes”, the skirts of wrapped
around fabric.
The sixth graders learned a bit about journalism: who makes it, why and
what components does it contain (articles, interviews, illustration, photos, ads
etc.). Then they learned a bit about composition before they got to play around
with a camera. Time was running out, so we didn’t get to do our interviews and
investigative journalism, so that has to wait till next time. As for now, it
was a pretty productive day anyway.
We’re getting ready to start painting! As soon as the “canÍcula” starts,
the dry, sunny period within the rainy season, the first colours will go up. The
only thing missing is…. DONATIONS!!!!!! So far, 73m² of 143 m² are accounted
for, so we’re half way through! You can help too and sponsor a square meter for
just $17.50!!!! It would be a pity if we can only paint half the wall…
(You can use the Donate Button on this page or visit the Crowdfunding
page at https://www.youcaring.com/the-community-of-the-maya-kaqchikel-village-of-chimachoy-577198.
)
Big thanks to: The Pollination Project, Diane Morton, Tessa de Goede, Willem
Meijnckens, Evert-jan Velzing, Rosan Breman, Ineke en Jan de Smidt….
