This week was yet another wonderful encuentro with many of our little companions au rendez-vous! As it was all about dreaming and sharing dreams, we all started painting our dreams and helping Gaby from the Defensoria del Pueblo blow these into multicolored balloons. Gaby also used this special moment as an opportunity to chat with the kids about other rights we had previously looked at such as How to relax, Let’ s talk about rights, etc.
The initial plan this week was for Gaby to work around the projected film “The tale of Despereaux”. Unfortunately, over the last couple of months, Ecuador has been undergoing a period of severe drought and consequently witnessing a strict electrical diet! The scheduling and related communications on these daily power cuts not always being fully accurate, we were effectively left Wednesday afternoon with no electricity, hence no film!
Fortunately this did not stop the kids from wanting to find out more about little Despereaux’s story… Why not narrate it we thought? Gaby, with the help of a couple of impersonifying cefistas, took on the challenge enabling the kids to embark on the wonderful journey of several unlikely heroes: Despereaux, a brave mouse banished to a dungeon for speaking with a human; Roscuro, a good-hearted rat, exiled to darkness; Pea, a Princess in a gloomy castle imprisoned by her father; and Mig, a servant who longs to be a Princess, but is forced to serve the jailer.
Cute and tiny with rather oversized ears, Despereaux was born too big for his little world. Refusing to live his life hiding away, he befriends Pea and learns to read. Banished from Mouse world for being more man than mouse, Despereaux is rescued by another outcast, Roscuro, who also wants to hear the tales. But when the Princess dismisses Roscuro's friendship, he becomes the ultimate rat and plots revenge with fellow outsider Mig. After Pea is kidnapped, Despereaux decides that even the tiniest mouse can find the courage of a knight in shining armor. The message was clear: 'Esquemas' (though not values!) had to be broken, and what you look like doesn't equate to what you are!
The kids were so delighted with the story and relaxed by it, they jointly decided to lie down and share their hopes and dreams for the future with the rest of the team. This was just an exquisite moment, which was closely followed by them humming Cuéntamelo Todo’s favourite, and soon to become OUR song, “Color esperanza”!
As you may remember, we were unable to give the kids our presents before Christmas (to find out why, check out A world-full of choices) and this week seemed like the perfect opportunity. So, after having their names called out, each kid stood up to pick up our present, a little book, together with a small candy bag and a balloon-full of dreams….needless to say, the kids were pretty chuffed by all this!
Next week, we will pursue our journey through the right to dream and choose. We look forward to seeing you then (and to reading your comments/suggestions!;-0) and, wish you all again, from this sunny and beautiful end of the Andes, a joyful and fruitful 2010!
