Off the paved road in Santiago de Cuba, in a neighbourhood called El Resplandor (The Glow) and best accessible by horse-drawn cart than by car, live families with many children in need of educational, cultural and material assistance. This project called Colores de Esperanza has been working with the children every Sunday for the last year supported by local school teachers, art teachers and a near-by parish under the supervision of Iliana Colás Gilarte.
Volunteer in Cuba – Work with what you´ve got
BEST Programs´ participant, Wiebke Zimdars, whose internship focussed on teaching children, planned and led the grass roots, people to people initiative documented in these photos where we see the children so proud of their creations. The Dream Catcher art project was made possible with donated materials by Wiebke and BEST´s team, who helped to photograph, film, cut, glue and sew one-to-one with the children.
(Photos by Waldofotos)
More than 20 children between 7 and 12 years old worked in pairs on a small plastic table cloth on the ground while their younger brothers and sisters between 4 and 6, worked in another area on a simpler activity. The Dream Catcher or Dream Wheel craft was at first a challenge due to the decorating with glitter and the sewing with yarn, beads and colored feathers, but finally the amulets and protectors proved to be an empowering and motivating activity.
If you’re passionate about volunteering in Cuba, you can gain internship experience for what you do naturally. It’s a great way to combine getting experience and helping to make a real difference.
Volunteer in Cuba. Check out the following for info on how to go about it: or write us today at best@bestprograms.org.
