A year of resilience and growth

It's been a while since our last update, so let's start with a brief recap of our journey so far.

Despite the challenges posed by the political situation in Venezuela, Tepui's ludoteca has remained a beacon of hope and joy for children in the Guayana region. Our mission to provide access to toys, games, and books has been unwavering, and we've seen significant progress in the first half of 2024.

Children enjoying free play

Recap of 2024 Achievements

• Community Engagement: Our ludoteca has become a central hub in the community, engaging with local institutions like the Universidad Experimental de Guayana (UNEG), ROTARACT San Félix, Rotary Club of Puerto Ordaz, and the Catholic Archdiocese of Guayana. These partnerships have been instrumental in expanding our reach and impact.

• Daily Operations: At our Los Olivos location, we've averaged 9 children per day, with a majority being boys. The age range is between 3 and 13 years, with the most frequent visitors being between 7 and 10 years old. Weekly group activities have been particularly popular, often drawing over 20 participants.

• Outreach Programs: Beyond our walls, we've conducted numerous community ludic events in more remote locations:

  • Cambalache: 344 children attended over four days.

  • Toro Muerto: 77 children participated.

  • Oratorio Santa Teresa: 22 children joined.

  • Villa Sonrisa: 28 children over three visits.

  • San Ignacio del Cocuy: 58 children over two visits.

• Academic Partnerships: We initiated a partnership with UNEG (Universidad de Guayana), providing training / coaching to five students who then organized ludic activities for about 100 children at the university.

Crafting cards for Mother's Day

Recent developments

As we move into the latter part of 2024 and beyond, we've seen some exciting changes:

• Summer Refresh: During the summer break, our team took the opportunity to revitalize the ludoteca. This included a thorough cleaning, reorganization, and the addition of much-needed furniture and an air conditioner to improve the environment for our young visitors.

• New Team Members: We bid farewell to long-time contributors Carlos and Ana Maria and welcomed Mari and Luisana to our team. Mari brings her expertise as a pedagogue working with kindergarten-age children, while Luisana is a seventh-semester Pedagogy student from the Universidad de Guayana.

• Expanded Operations: Since October, our new team has been welcoming children and families from Monday to Thursday. This consistent schedule has helped us establish a routine that benefits both our regular attendees and newcomers.

• University Partnerships: We've started working with a new group of university students who are completing their community service by supporting ludoteca activities. This is our second collaboration with the Universidad de Guayana, and we're proud to foster this alliance.

  
  

Looking Forward

As we continue on this journey, we're committed to refining our approach, expanding our impact, and ensuring that every child who walks through our doors feels valued and supported. Despite the challenges ahead, we remain steadfast in our mission to provide a safe, engaging space where children can grow, learn, and simply enjoy being kids.

At Tepui, we take play very seriously, and we're excited to see what the future holds for our little corner of the world. Thank you for your continued support and for being part of this journey with us!

Let us know your comments below or if you want to know more, send us an email at info@tepui.ch