Monthly Newsletter Performing Life

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Monthly Newsletter, June 2015

To say that the month of June was a busy one for Performing Life would be an understatement. In addition the Circus Clases, our Educational Program, and family visits in the context of our Bracelet Program, Marye traveled to the Netherlands to represent Performing Life in a contest where we were selected as one of the three finalists. Unfortunately, we did not win the money, but Performing Life gained some great publicity! Marye was even invited to speak about Performing Life´s mission and achievements on a Dutch TV station! She also sold bracelets and CDs for the organization, making the trip more than worth it!
Back in Bolivia, thanks to Fundación Alerta Verde, we now have two garden spaces in our satellite office in Montenegro. During a workshop the children received an extensive explanation on how to maintain their gardens. In addition to the vegetables the garden will produce, they also provide a great opportunity for the volunteers to give workshops in the Education Program on ecosystems, plant biology, and nutrition. Overall, it´s a great addition to our Montenegro office! Additionaly, like in May, the kids took part in a sexual education workshop, only this time organized by CUBE. Here, the children learned about the importance of respecting each other's bodies and their right to control their own. We have 4 new volunteers from the FSD organization: Jorge, Pieter, Camila and Danielle. June´s grand finale was the spectacular show that the children gave on World Juggling Day, the last Friday before vacation.

Some of our new volunteers

Hello my name is Jorge Buendia and I am a rising junior at Northwestern University. I am in Cochabamba, Bolivia through the GESI program that is organized by Northwestern University. Through Foundation for Sustainable Development, I will be working with Performing Life for 2 months. My goal here is to implement a sustainable project, with the help of my teammates, that will help further the mission of the organization. I am very excited to begin working with all of the children within the program and to immerse myself in the Bolivian culture.

My name is Aaron and I´m a rising senior at Davidson College from Glendora, CA. I was connected with Performing Life through Sustainable Bolivia, and I´ve been here for a month now. In that time, I´ve done a little bit of everything, including helped kids with their homework, teaching juggling, giving bass guitar workshops on Mondays, purchasing chess boards for the Education Program, and have done some 10 or 12 family visits. I´m currently planning various activities, workshops, and games for the Educational Program, and helping the children prepare for the next performance.

Work with Performing Life! Apply now to become our new Circus Arts Director!

Do you enjoy working with youth teaching them amazing abilities while improving their lives and having loads of fun all at the same time? Are you a Circus Professional or do you have friends who are? Check out this amazing opportunity (and share with others) to work with Performing Life as our new Circus Arts Director in 2016! Apply now by clicking on the following link: http://www.idealist.org/view/job/9z7J9P9zpcH4

Family visits

Our volunteers have visited a number families in June, including those who have and haven´t participated in the Bracelet Program. Elizabeth Glass, from Eugene, OR, who volunteered with us in 2014, developed a diagnostic survey to assess economic and social situations of the youth, families, and communities. Survey data are part of a larger needs assessment on the living conditions and various challenges facing the youth in our programs. This year there are many new children participating in our programs, so the volunteers are conducting the surveys with these new families. Results and analyses will help us evaluate participant and family progress over time.

Thanks for supporting us!

We would like to send out a big THANK YOU to the amazing individuals who attendend the Performing Life benefit event at Cirque Du Soleil´s KURIOS show in Denver on July 2, and the people who will attending the show on July 23! Thank you all for making a difference in the lives of Bolivian Youth through Social Circus! We appreciate your support and hope you all enjoy the show!

We appreciate your support and invite you to continue creating better futures through the arts with Bolivian youth and their families. Tax-exempt contributions may be made through our web site, http://www.performinglifebolivia.org. Even small donations make a big impact. For current news and photos, please visit our Facebook page, Performing Life, Inc. or contact us at Info@performinglifebolivia.org.

Saludos,

John Connell & Marye Dijkstra

Performing Life International, Inc. is a United States 501(c)3 federally tax-exempt organization.

Fundación enseñARTE is a registered nongovernmental organization (NGO) in Bolivia.

Tax-exempt donations may also be made through Hope for the Children Foundation, Inc. in the US and A Little Charitable Trust, registered in New Zealand and the UK.

Or you can reach us in Bolivia:
Performing Life

Calle 2 - #27, Urbanizacion Carlos Peña
Zona Iquircollo – Quillacollo

Cochabamba