Post by Humanitas Initiative

Last week I got to do one of my favourite things in the world: share my home country with a room full of curious children. 🇻🇪 On the 7th of July, I led the Venezuela day of Building Communities Resource Centre's Globetrotters Cultural Summer Scheme at Star of the Sea in Portstewart, part of a wonderful week that took 20 children aged 6 to 11 on a journey around the world. India, Ukraine, and Venezuela, each with its own day, its own culture, its own adventure. Over three hours, we: 🎶 Listened to joropo, Venezuela's joyful folk music 🪇 Made our own maracas 🌎 Explored Venezuela's geography, animals and the meaning of its flag 🗣️ Went on a Spanish scavenger hunt, learning new words in Spanish through teamwork 🎨 And painted the Catatumbo lightning, Venezuela's never-ending storm... and honestly, their paintings left me speechless. More than any single fact, I wanted these children to leave with one feeling: that Venezuela welcomes them. That the wider world is beautiful, warm, and open to them. Watching a new generation grow up curious about other cultures, open to them, unafraid of them, is exactly how we build communities where everyone belongs. That openness, nurtured early, changes everything. Huge thanks to Gosia and the team at BCRC for organising it so beautifully, and to my brilliant fellow facilitators Shikha (India) and Olena (Ukraine). Together we gave those children a whole world in a single week. 🌍 Read the full story on our blog 👉 https://lnkd.in/erMf_jxi #CulturalIntegration #CommunityBuilding #Venezuela #NorthernIreland #Facilitation #Diversity #Belonging #HumanityBeforePassports