Our holiday gift to you, our community of supporters, is a true story written by ArtCorps Artist Isabel Carrío about the magic of play and imagination:

Guachcuz is a community mainly populated by children, but it has few resources for enjoying one’s childhood. This time, upon my return to Guachcuz I don’t carry toothbrushes, or paintbrushes, or colored pencils in my backpack. I carry a wooden board with two green strings: a swing.

With the teachers’ approval, we begin the activity. We hang the swing in the gallery of the school. Whoever wants to swing has to write a wish on the wooden seat.

These are some of the wishes that appear: eat ice cream, eat apples, watch a movie, new clothes, go swimming, go to the city and more.

First the young men try it while the girls observe. There is much laughter, a bit of disorder, and then more wishes.

While I capture photos of those laughing faces, I see these children in relation to all children. There are swings in almost all parks around the world. Snack time arrives, and we decide to take down the swing until the next wish session.

It is said that in olden times, Brahmans believed that the higher one swung, the more the rice would grow. For centuries, farmers dedicated a few hours a day to swing, to help the flax grow. We will see what happens in the Guachcuz cornfields in the days to come....

Thank you for helping us to engage communities in Central America in building a brighter future. We wish you and yours a holiday season of wonder and joy. May all of your wishes for the New Year come true!

Warmly,

The ArtCorps Team

All images courtesy of ArtCorps Artist Isabel Carrío