How to relax…

Yesterday was pretty informal. Maria Gabriela, alias Gaby, from the Defensoria del Pueblo, was with us to help the kids think about how and why it´s important to relax. One needs to understand one´s limits to be efficient and make the most of the choices and opportunities around us. By relaxing, you are making sure you give yourselves all these options.

Waiting for the kids to arrive, the session started out quite laid back (what a surprise!) with Gaby and a few of our early attendants (the same are often there before us tapping foot!) helping her blow the multicoloured balloons she had brought. Gradually, as the sun shone, kids streamed in under the tent and made themselves comfortable to read the book selection we had available. Our CEFA team accompanied them in the browsing. The more active ones went off to play volleyball on the plaza until Henri and Santi called them to do a few ice-breakers. During that time, we strolled around the plaza to invite the passing or sitting children with their parents- the idea is for the parents who could be wandering, spending a relaxing afternoon on the square or even working there with their kids, to know that we are here and that their children are cordially invited. In most cases, the kids happily joined us and now that we have set up tent next to the stairs on the plaza, their parents move closer and sit on the stairs to watch. Some also participate, sit with us and read or draw with their kids.
Gaby kicked off with a reminder of what rights are (let´s not forget the institution she works for seeks to help people, both children and adults, in protecting their rights!) and what comes with them. If you expect your rights to be respected then you also have to make sure that you fill in your part of the contract...As she pointed out, you have a right to education but you also have a responsibility to do your homework, otherwise your right is meaningless! So after she discussed with the kids what kind of rights they have- we actually happily observed they had a pretty comprehensive understanding of what these are- Gaby helped them pair the responsibilities to the rights they had pinpointed.
¨So what is the right to relax actually about?¨ she asked. Answers splashed out: ¨It´s about playing, sleeping, sitting down, being attentive to how you feel, dreaming, doing sports, having fun!¨ These answers were stimulated by a set of images she circulated amongst the group: Ratatouille nibbling on his piece of cheese, a group of chipmunks having a juice enjoying their time together, farmers taking a breath before moving on to their next task.
These images portrayed children, babies, adults, older people as well as animals to remind us all that we share this right. For each of these images, Gaby invited the kids to comment and describe what they saw and what it evoked to them. To each image was also attached a little description and as these were passed on around under the tent, and beyond (for the cooler ones! ;0), those who could read would inform the younger ones. The right to relax, Gaby stressed, is above all about knowing when to change activity: ¨So we can all change position and lie down now¨ threw one of our kids, to which all proceeded in sprawling out on the mats to relax and find the mental space to dream for a short while…

After this informal discussion and thanking Gaby for sharing her thoughts with us, Henri and Santi with the rest of the CEFA girls took over and invited the kids to play a last set of games before departing. During that time, the rest of us sat with those who were feeling quiet and relaxed enough to go back to books and drawings. At the end of the session, the balloons which we had secured to the San Francisco convent wall, were detached and distributed to the kids who happily wandered off with them...
Next week we´ll be looking at the right to information…for this we have to prepare a little as the challenge, beyond securing our ¨speaker¨(!), will be to get the kids in the side activities to work in groups on themes like dance, music, theatre, etc. and find out how and where they can source that information! The idea is also that some of our kids will volunteer to look out for this news weekly (according to their topic of choice of course!) and share it with the rest of the crew. The challenge: what´s on & where, for the cheapest possible, or for free! ;0
Keep on watching this space…