Arte Poste de Nueva Esparta

Year: 2010
Country: El Salvador
Project Status: Funded
Impact Sector: Education
Project Investment: $497.00

Project Launch:

Kids in the town of Nueva Esparta in El Salvador were given a unique opportunity to paint several light posts in the center of town. The Comite Juvenil Espartano was focused on beautifying the town after the 2009 election cycle left walls, trees, houses, bridges, streets, and light posts vandalized by political parties that paint and post political propaganda on every possible surface. With a $497 grant from World Connect’s Kids to Kids Program, the community brought together students for a free art class in which they learned painting and after took to the streets to decorate over 60 light posts with their own designs focusing on the environment and culture of Nueva Esparta and El Salvador. For the first time in their lives, the youth of the pueblo learned about painting under the guidance of a professional instructor and could put their talents to use in a project that they will see every time they walk down the streets of Nueva Esparta. The members of the Comite Juvenil Espartano also learned valuable project planning and management skills such as writing and maintaining a budget, writing grant applications, how to liase with the mayor's office, and how to coordinate an event with several groups of people. The group worked with the town council to sign a resolution outlawing the vandalism of the decorated posts and worked with the candidates for the 2012 mayoral election to enforce the resolution.  Originally the posts contained announcements, advertisements, and political propaganda and now they contain traditional cultural images of El Salvador, local landmarks, and give the town a traditional cultural feel. The project allowed the kids to express themselves using their artistic abilities and the town of Nueva Esparta is very proud of their new light posts, which have brought the community together. Overall, the project was a huge success and may become a tradition for the town.

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