ALMA DE COLORES IN ITALY

After working for five years in San Juan La Laguna on the field, where some of us had the luck of working as volunteers in the implementation of Alma de Colores and the being able to meet the extraordinary people of Lake Atitlan, we keep on giving support to the activities of the project from far away.

This, in the field of cooperation is called “capacity building”, i.e. start something and then leave it to grow.

Everything that we have been able to accomplish in these years is thanks to the help of people from all around the world. And, we want to keep doing so with the logic of “horizontal cooperation” or “poor cooperation”. Meaning, a cooperation that gathers funds primarily through the sharing of values.

What are these values? It is simply to believe that everyone’s destiny depends solely on us, and that tomorrow’s world is the result of the effort that men do today.

Together, we can make a more just world, through sustainable development (towards the environment) and inclusion (that changes the popular belief that people with disabilities only need help, but that recognizes that they can be the main actors of change).

To accomplish all of this, we need to create situations where people can share energy and develop ideas.

The economic resources that are generated are of ethic nature, since they go through a process of recognition  and the decision that is taken to invest in a more just and inclusive world.

With this logic in mind, we organize cultural events such as: cineforum, fotographic exhibitions and concerts, with a specific focus to eradicate stereotypes and prejudices towards people with disabilities.

We also propose various courses, whose inscription fees sustain economically the expenses of the project in Guatemala (we currently have hatha yoga, natural soaps, baking of mother dough, etc).

Furthermore, we sell the products made in the handcraft workshop in Guatemala in exchange of volunteered donations to the project.

Our operational center is in Mongrando, but we are always available to discuss and present our dream around Italy and Europe.

If you agree and like with what we have read so far, don’t hesitate to communicate with us; it will be a real pleasure to meet and share with you.

The Alma de Colores group in Italy.

 

Our members