CODENI Workshops

Our workshops area has a new coordinator who is expanding the creative and productive activities that we offer to our children. The population has shown great interest and enthusiasm in the new dynamics.

“Mairo Leo” is teaching the teenagers to work with leather. They are currently making wallets. Each participant is designing their own wallet, cutting the patterns, adding accessories and decorating their final product.

Our younger children continue in the final phase of the puppet workshop where they are making puppets and rehearsing each week in CODENI for a final production at the end of the course. They have also been making piñatas. They begin by making the center container to hold the candy with a balloon, paper and glue. Once it dries, each child paints and decorates their piñata as they like.

Adolescents paint a new mural in Casa CODENI

We are pleased to present our new mural in the main patio of Casa CODENI. The mural represents the effort of CODENI to promote a change of consciousness in the families who participate in CODENI to help them overcome their dependence on the streets. The images come from two photographs taken by Josh Meltzer, who was with CODENI on a Fulbright scholarship in 2008-2009.

The part under the stairs represents the work of the families in the streets, while the part above the stairs reflects their great efforts to better their lives and accomplish their dreams through education.

The painting was made possible with the direction and collaboration of locally renowned artist, César Plasencia, who accompanied three adolescents who participate in CODENI’s artistic expression workshop: Mariana Miguel, Marco Almaguer and Lorenzo Juárez. Educator Diego Ayala, who leads the course, coordinated the project.

The mural was produced by mixing techniques of acrylic and spray painting on a pencil sketch.