Warmayllu / Children´s community

“We can't understand a culture without knowing it´s art”
Ana Mae Barboza

WARMAYLLU is a Non Governmental Organization dedicated to work in a practical way to elevate the educational level in rural and underprivileged areas of Peru, promoting the integration of arts education and the local culture within the official school curricula. WARMAYLLU encourages intercultural dialogue between people of different cultures in order to sow the seeds of a culture of respect and equality.

In the last 5 years of working in rural and marginal urban schools in Peru, we have developed a dynamic art-research program to be integrated within the official school curricula. Our innovative methods motivate teachers to realize small-scale research projects thru the arts, exploring together with students and parents, the cultural and natural potential of their community. In this way, we strengthen the children's culture identity, inspire freedom of expression and foster a reflective and creative attitude towards life. Between 2002-2005, thanks to the financial support of the Ford Foundation, we have been able to train over 64 teachers and implemented art workshops with 1755 children and numerous parents.

“The trainings are helping us to be teachers with a vision and enable us to integrate the arts to support our educational activities... the art workshops have improved the learning abilities of our children”

Olga Chavez, school director of Chamis, Cajamarca

• Promote creativity and freedom of expression
• Strenghten personal and cultural identity
• Foster intercultural dialogue and reflection.
• Promote the value and exchange of cultural ancestral knowledge
• Achieve community development thru personal and educational growth as well as mutual responsability.