Concept

Interactive: Fun and Joy

“Be easy child.”

In the areas of the world we target, children due to their life circumstances are all too soon expected and required to take responsibility for their family. This is partly to act as breadwinners, and assist in the struggle to survive. As such, they go to work on the street preventing them from continuing their education, or taking the steps that would allow them to live and have a better future. Their work is often menial, they sell chewing gum, clean car windows, and on a darker note sell drugs, and some even fall prey to child prostitution rings as it is seemingly the only opportunity. This life robs them not only of their education but also of their childhood which is in our minds essential to healthy personal, physical, and psychological growth. Robbed of their childhood they are unable to develop properly and are often the subject of physical, and sexual abuse, as well as they are often injured or killed. The necessity to provide for their families forces them to endlessly live according to the cycle of poverty in which they were born.

We seek to alter the environment in which these children live, and create new opportunities for them through play, movement, dance, music, and art. In the long run we believe that through these methods the children will rebuild their self-esteem. We believe that through using these method and volunteer work we are opening up new perspectives on life. Be introducing them to like-minded people who share in this dream we will give them the power and motivation to continue attending school, and finding their own way to break out of the poverty cycle that dictates their lives.

Experience time and time again has shown that team spirit and group dynamics develop essential skills and life experiences, which are worth a great deal more to children than money could ever be. In order to create the environment we wish to, we require volunteers and donations to create a space that could make our dream a reality, and make these children’s dreams a reality.

Integrative and inclusive: Help has no Borders

“There is no wall between East and West, the wall runs just between you and me.”

True to this motto, we provide assistance in Berlin and the rest of the world regardless of borders. Our doors are open to all children regardless of race, color, religion, disabilities, or illnesses. Unfortunately, some children – such as AIDS orphans or children with disabilities – are excluded from similar organizations because they’re different from society or deemed to be too great liability. This is not the case with MiraSol.

It is specifically for these types of children that our doors are open. For these children it is fundamentally important to have a place where they can be children, where they can play with other children and where they will not encounter prejudice, or abuse. Through the joint efforts and play, children naturally develop tolerance and respect for the differences of the other. These are values ​​that will stick with them for their entire lives and help them to stand strong against discrimination.

International: Help has no language

We are proud to inform you that the MiraSol project will be international. We have already built a global network of artists, and volunteers that is continually expanding.

Our primary goal in this sense is that the Mirasol project takes root in many parts of the world gradually. We plan to start the project in Recife, Brazil, and over time expand to other places in Brazil and Portugal. These concepts for these expansions are already under construction.

Since we are based on an international concept, the basic language within each nation based project will be the national language of the specific nation. However we will also provide language and cross cultural exchange programs geared to expand the children’s understanding and ability to speak of other languages and cultures.

Since the artists come from all over the world, these programs offer a wide selection languages and cultures to our targeted children. This aspect of our organization is crucial as we believe that the knowledge of language both spoken and written is mobilizing.

Intercambio: Colorful exchange

The project is based on an Intercambio, on an exchange. We provide a platform for creative exchange between survivalists of the street, and artists and volunteers from all over the world.

The artists and volunteers will through workshops share their knowledge to the children. Since learning is a two way street, the children will in return help artists and volunteers to see the world through children’s eyes. This idea inspires so many new and innovative volunteers to join, and provides the drive for our current volunteers to continue with their work.
The artists and volunteers will have the opportunity to stay in our accommodation free of charge. In addition to the ability to run, and design workshops, the artists and volunteers are also able to take regenerative days, for personal reflection, meditation, and to partake in the experiences the nation in which they are in has to offer.

Intuitively: School of Intuition

Children are naturally in tune with their intuition and are guided by it. We would like to support this basic instinct and powerful tool, through art projects, We want to stimulate the imagination, creativity and intuition of children through artistic based projects and workshops, and a variety of mediums I.E. Painting, drawing, Sculpture etc.

Informative: Art forms

At each of these art based workshops, the artists and volunteers will incorporate an educational aspect, and involve current social issues, and problems such as environmental protection, racial discrimination, violence, sex education, drug use and addiction and its consequences.

For example, in one workshop based on reintroducing children to the wonders of nature, the leading artist had the children how to make books from natural resources, such as grasses, twigs and bark. Through this project the children learn about the local flora, and their uses incorporating some local uses for said flora. Through this newly found connection to nature these children learn the importance of environmental protection, and the value of ecosystems, among other things.

Individual: Protection of Children

We also plan to help children individually. Each child has their own story, background, and needs that require unique and individual assistance. An example of this would our ability to assist in the acquiring of scholarships to enable talented children a better individual learning experience. For example, if a child were to show a lot of musical talent in a workshop, we would assist them in finding the means to attend the Academy of Music. In addition to these support service, we plan to also assist in the legal area of our participants lives, and strive to uphold and enforce U.N. sanctioned children’s and Human rights. To do this we work closely with lawyers and other legal institutions, as well as provide support when dealing with the local legal system.