June 5, 2011 - Taller de cometas con Club Rotario Panamá Metro / Let's make KITES!

On June 5 we had a great pleasure to guest Club Rotario Panamá Metro in Koskuna who organized a Kite making workshop.  We started promptly at 9 am with a group of 20 children who signed up for this workshop earlier that week. Jany Sibauste, a professional flamenco dancer, ran a quick warm up and proceeded to explain the plan for the day, while the others were preparing the materials. As time went by more and more children kept coming. I think more than 40 kids showed up that morning; something we hadn't predicted. We ran out of sticks so we had to forget about the children not on the list, and focus on helping those that were having trouble tying the sticks together to make a base for the kite. Jany and  other members of the Rotary Club were truly amazing though. We also had two wonderful young Kuna women helping out  - Dina and Chani. Many thanks to all of these people for showing up on Sunday morning, and making the workshop run smoothly. Kids loved it!

GRACIAS!

May 29, 2011 - Visit to Punta Culebra Nature Center - Tocamos Estrellas!

Last Sunday we took a group of 12 children from Koskuna to the PUNTA CULEBRA Nature Center run by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama. Thanks to Lidia de Valencia, the Educational Director at Punta Culebra, the group from Proyecto Koskuna accessed the center free of charge, for which we are very grateful.

GRACIAS PUNTA CULEBRA!

Sunday 22 May - Jugglig Balls Workshop

Last Sunday we held a juggling workshop in Koskuna. Beatriz and Miguel taught the kids how to make juggling balls with sand and rubber balloons. So we stopped by Venao beach on the way to the community to pick up some sand.  We told the kids to put a fistful of sand in the plastic bottles we'd given out, then fill balloons with air about half way and place them around bottle necks. Next, flip the bottles up side down and squeeze the sand into the balloons. It was incredible watching the satisfaction on children's faces when the sand was poring smoothly into  their balloons. Then we formed nice balls out of the sand in the balloons, make it all nice and tight, snap the ends off , tape it, and put another colorful balloon around each ball. Again snap the ends off and juggling balls were ready. 

When everyone finished, Miguel gave a juggling show, and then we proceeded to glue strings and colorful strips of tissue paper to the balls, so kids could spin them, making beautiful circles in the air! The children loved this workshop, even more so because it was a surprise!

15 de Mayo, 2011 - Aniversario de la danza Kuna en Koskuna / Kuna Dance Anniversary in Koskuna

Last Sunday, May 15 we had a pleasure to attend the Kuna Dance Anniversary, organized by the Directiva of Koskuna. The festivities were held in the community building we painted with the kids of Koskuna over the last few months, so the scenery was nice and colorful!
Seven Kuna dance groups participated in the celebration:
1. Koskuna Kalu
2. Kankis
3. Yarbali-Kunkalu
4. Kammu-Kankalu
5. Noga- Kunkalu
6. Sikui Kunkalu
7. Mogir Yala

Here are the pictures of several groups performing traditional Kuna dance:

KOSKUNA KALU