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Dear Brothers, Children of the Earth: This autumn, (Spring 2001 in the Northern Hemisphere), we, Diego Méndez and Miguel Fernández - through our initiative called “Taller Marindia”- received an invitation from the intentional community village “La Comarca” located in “El Sauce”, Canelones, Uruguay, to build a place for the children to play. We accepted the invitation, a great way to exchange energy, materials and knowledge. We arrived during the weekend, bringing our tools and planning to stay for a while to work with this community of seventeen adults and six children.
The following morning we had the feeling of being a grand work team, as each of us focused on some part of the ship, having an understanding of it as a whole. We could feel a deep connection and different ideas and solutions came easily. We built everything with the materials available in the community, except for some paint and nails we bought. When we stopped to reflect and talk about each step of the work, the children were already playing on the almost finished equipment. It was good to see them play, and we shared with the people of “La Comarca” other experiences, through which we have learned what a great benefit playing can be for physical exercise, stimulation, relaxation, creativity and happiness. The sun was still up, and we were ready for the final touch - painting. We chose our colors from the flowers, the fruit, the sky, the animals. With several brushes we painted with the colors of America, colors of the old traditions that vibrate throughout this land with a high and strong energy. “Taller Marindia” seeks to feature colors in simple drawings, and in ways we feel connects us to our folk art, which brings dynamic colors into everyday life.
Taller Marindia is now creating a wonderful wholistic playground in Marindia, Canelones, Uruguay, for use by children from many schools, and for workshops in art, music, permaculture and more. This project is in construction, though in need of support to be accomplished. There is already much play equipment, a large space for classes and workshops, as well as a small maintenance shop built. There are still some ecological systems to be completed - dry composting toilets, a grey water treatment system, and appropriate technologies for production of electricity. When finished, this site will accommodate visits of large groups of children for play and learning. Taller Marindia is a project of 7 Generations, a non-profit organization which serves as a contact office for the Ecovillage Network of the Americas (ENA) in Southern South America. See photos of Taller Marindia’s enchanting creations for children at: http://www.7generaciones.org/marindia |
The first day we cleaned up the area and put in the main poles of a structure that would later be a sailing ship. All tasks were spontaneously shared: peeling the poles, digging holes, hammering, making a sail. By sunset we had the frame for the ship finished. We built a platform for the deck, a net for kids to climb on, a slide, ladders, a place for a watchtower, hammocks and other playful equipment, all set up within the vessel’s structure. We were all happy about what we had accomplished, as we went for a wonderful dinner made with veggies that the community grows organically. We renewed our energy together and gathered for sharing about “La Comarca’s” experiences as a community. 
At dusk on this second day, as the sun was setting like a fire in the sky, our work was done. We had accomplished what we had intended, and saluted the sunset. We built a fire and formed a circle around it. Everyone had a chance to express themselves as we passed the talking stick - one of the poles prepared for the ship’s sails. We shared our good wishes for one another, our children and the whole family of life. At the end of this warm ceremony, we hugged, and “Taller Marindia” set off for home. We left behind an artful sailing ship for the children of “La Comarca” and others who visit them, to navigate.
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