Proyecto Cultural La Cambalacha

She spoke to me with confidence. 12 year old Lucia. ¨Come here. Sit down. I want to braid your hair.¨ She did not have to beg. I love surrendering to the artful hands and soft laughter of a young girl who wields a comb like a magic wand. A universal pleasure among women: exchanging loving touch and small-talk while combing hair.

We sit quietly in the art center among the paintbrushes and afternoon artwork drying in the 5 o´clock breeze. I peer out under the avocado tree and smile at the joyous squeals of children playing. They run barefoot on the earth, so accustomed to this way of walking that they never break a stride, a leap, a cartwheel at the fault of a harmless rock or thorn. I have been here at La Cambalacha for one-week. One-week and I feel at home among these voices, smells, songs. The children. They kiss me hello. They kiss me goodbye. Karina, Jesse, Sabastiana, Santalinda, Manaces, Giovanni, Angelica, Juanita, Lucas, The children.

¨Look in the mirror,¨ she says with a proud smile. I walk into the studio and I am overcome with a wave of radiant energy generated by these children. These children following me so lovingly as I lead a session of yoga. These children imitating my movements with curious smiles as I teach a West-African inspired dance class. I look in the mirror and I see a beautiful woman; beautiful because she is smiling from that place deep inside where the dirty feet and infectious smiles of children plant seeds of joy. Seeds of joy watered each passing day with the hope that young laughter brings.

Children are hope. Some days driving you crazy because they are bouncing off the walls, spinning circles and doing anything but looking you in the eye and listening. Other days, inspiring you with a rainbow of creativity, bravery, tenderness and strength. Days among children are purposeful. Days among children immersed in art, dance, yoga, games, group-building activities, shared chores and community are overflowing with purpose.

I wake at 5:00 in the morning to the jungle birds singing and I feel glad. La Cambalacha. It means ¨exchange.¨ Arte para todos. Art for all. ¨We work for the rights of children and youth to creative education, freedom of expression, and social and cultural participation.¨ This is the mission of Proyecto Cultural La Cambalacha. Located on the shore of Lake Atitlan in a beautiful town San Marcos La Laguna.

I would like to dedicate myself to this project for many months to come. I would like to know the names and faces of the many children who walk up the hill from town five days a week, change out of their fabric skirts and heeled shoes, and move their bodies, hands, minds, hearts artfully as the explore their right to creative education. Theatre, dance, yoga, music, fine-arts, circus arts ... Hay de todo. As I prepare to leave this place-this forest of color and laughter where I feel at home, purposeful, glad-I smile knowing that I will be back in a few short weeks. I came to Guatemala looking for a reason to stay for a while, a community to commit to, a life. I found just that in La Cambalacha.