By: Rosario Ojeda
For Sofía Muñiz, mother of one of the participants in the workshops Tell me about your wings and Where does your family come from?, “this activity was very beautiful, full of imagination and information for the children. Here, the little ones learned a lot about human mobility in a fun way, through play.”
Both workshops, taught by the Jorge Marín Foundation along with UNICEF Mexico, were held on April 29th and 30th at the “José Vasconcelos” National Library in Mexico City, and had the participation of more than 200 children between 6 and 12 years old. In each workshop session, children learned to create a sculpture from common materials in their everyday environment, while reflecting on the reasons why entire families, including children and adolescents, migrate from their countries of origin in search of new life opportunities.
“The children learned a lot about the phenomenon of human mobility in the world,” said Muñiz. “This workshop gave a new focus to this problem from respect and understanding points of view. And the most beautiful thing is that they were able to capture that new learning in sculptures,” concluded the proud mother who watched her daughter’s cardboard and balloon boat.
Émily Bárcenas, one of the participating girls, said that what she liked the most about the activity was that she learned how to “make boats with glitter, balloons, cardboard and glue”, but above all, she enjoyed sharing with her family. “What I liked the most was being with my family,” she said.
For Carla Esparza, another participant, learning about sculpture was particularly interesting. “I learned the differences between sculpture and painting; they have different textures and sculpture can be seen and touched. I made a boat with wings and learned many things,” the girl said.
Thus, with the exhibition of the works made by the attendees, as well as a final reflection on the importance of respecting the rights of children – particularly those in vulnerable situations, such as migrant children – this workshop day concluded, as part of the celebrations for Children’s Day.
