PROJETO ESPELHO
(Project Mirror)
Special thanks to Coen Schaad for his support and assistance in financing this project.
A project with children and horses carried out in january 2006, for a period of 3 months, in a fishing community in Barra de Mamanguape, state of Paraiba, Brazil.
Special sponsor: Coen Shaad
1. PROPOSAL - OBJECTIVES
2.
CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING THE GROUP
3.CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING THE HORSES
4.PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION AND RESULTS
5.PROJECT FOLLOW-UP – A NEW CONTINUITY
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1. PROPOSAL - OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the Espelho Project harmonize with those of the Golden Circle Programs, namely, to extend the relational circle of the inhabitants of the community of Barra de Mamanguape (Paraíba), by means of the awareness and caring for the other.
Sensitized to the abuses and negligence we witnessed being committed against animals – which were poorly fed, sick and maltreated – we decided to carry out a project in this community. A project that would not only save the animals, but, more importantly, introduce a new consciousness to the comunity. A consciousness governed by respect, responsibility, caring and loving.
We decided to begin the practical side of our work by focusing on the children and the horses, which we noticed were the animals that endured most suffering, and the children, since they represented the greatest opportunity for quick transformation, and also because they showed themselves to be more open and available. Once the work was underway, we realized that the history of maltreatment and violence was one that extended to the children, the women and the old. Through this group of children, we were able to get a very realistic view of the community, which at first seemed so peaceful and non-violent.
This work enabled us to confirm the effectiveness of the dynamic of Mirroring in the relationship between human beings and animals. Through this relationship of exchange ,reciprocity and sharing, human beings can observe themselves, get to know or recognize their needs and difficulties as well as their traumas, express them and seek out new solutions.
2. CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING THE GROUP
We worked with a group of 12 children, whose ages varied between 9 and 14.
We found that the children were highly deprived, both in terms of schooling as of affection and emotion.
With respect to education, some of the children could be considered functionally illiterate, that is, they had hardly any command of the language, and could practically only write and recognize their own names, even though they were in advanced grades. Those who were literate, and had a certain command of language, were deprived of stimulation and access to sources of information such as books, which were not to be found, not only in their homes but also in their schools.
Although they were brought up in a loose manner and had a lot of time on their hands to play, these children were very interested in their schooling. The majority were very solitary and deprived in this schooling process. Their families – whose members were mostly functional illiterates – and their schools offered them none of the support they needed to overcome their difficulties, nor the incentives and stimuli required for their developme. ?>>
During individual interviews with the children, they all expressed their desire to be part of a “better school”, which could provide them with books, computers and sports. None of these was available in the local schools, or if available, only precariously <<don’t like this word, need more precision for the right one>>, as in the case of sporting activities.
With regard to the emotional world of these children, many had a history of maternal abandonment and others had to deal with problems of violence and alcoholism in their families. Alcoholism was a serious problem in Barra de Mamanguape <<ok?>> .
3. CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING THE HORSES
Project Espelho involved two horses. One of the them, Melado, was a rental horse and was in reasonable condition; the other was Espelho, who became the protagonist of our project.
Espelho was in dreadful condition when we started taking care of him. He was famished and sick, and his body was covered with spur marks and crawling with ticks – he seemed somewhat apathetic about his state. We didn’t believe he was in condition to survive. Our objective at that time was simply to give him a few good days of life. Since we didn’t think he would resist, the children were not brought into the project at this stage.
But as he began to respond very well to the care he received, we found that it was a good time to bring in the children. Every day he got a little better, and slowly he began to reveal his personality, which had been concealed by his condition. Apart from being fed very well, he also was given a daily vitamin supplement.
He was at first examined by a “practitioner” – an technical expert in animals with no academic training – who gave him all the basic care needed for survival. Then he was examined by a veterinarian, who gave him the required vaccines as well as the vitamins.
Espelho’s future became more promising by the day. Since the project was conceived to have a particular duration (3 months), we arranged for a place where he could go after the project’s completion. It was an Ecotherapy clinic, where Espelho would receive the best imaginable treatment, and would be trained to be used as a “co-therapist” in the clinic’s work. For this proceed, he had to undergo two blood tests, for glanders and infectious anemia.
Espelho was diagnosed as having infectious anemia – the “AIDS” of horses. The official procedure of the Ministry of Agriculture following such a diagnosis, is to have the animal put down. We had therefore to abide by this regulation: Espelho died without pain or suffering.
His future as a co-therapist was forgotten with his death.
All of us who lived with him during those months, thank him for the opportunity he gave us to transform ourselves as beings.
4. PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION AND RESULTS
This project focused on non-formal <<”informal”?>> education. We tried to motivate the children through games, mutual-care practices <<ok?>> (which at first occurred through the horses), reading, writing, help in the process of learning to read and write <<This is messy: English word for “alfabetização” doesn’t exist; I’d suggest removing it anyway, since it repeats the previous two items.>>, and also in conversations that stimulated perception and critical thinking. It was an invitation to a process of <<self?>> examination and transformation.
The exchange <<see above: don’t like the word>> formed between the children and the horses, that is, the project of “saving” and caring for needy animals, was fundamental to the group’s strengthening itself as a group, developing confidence in the facilitators, and its immersion in the proposal of self-examination and awareness of the other.
The children greatly appreciated the idea of calling the horse we were caring for “Espelho” (Mirror) – meaning that he would reflect the care he was given. They had never thought of the concept that every one of us reflects the life we are living and the life we have lived.
Our routine consisted of two meetings every day – one in the morning and afternoon. In the morning meetings, the focus was more “playful”. The group, the horses and the facilitators would go to the beach. The idea was to bathe the animals but also to have fun. The children loved this moment: we swam alongside the horses, we played in the sand, and everyone got a chance to briefly ride the horses. These opportunities were always taken advantage of to introduce new concepts of care and respect for the other.
During the second daily meetings, the children were the main focus. We had various children’s books, which remained available for all those who wanted to read or leaf through them. Those in the more advanced grades could read them. The others who were still learning to read and write were helped when they had problems. We had a period for reading, one for drawing and also one for writing, which took the form of a collective book.
The book, entitled How I became Espelho, came about thanks to a suggestion made by the facilitators which was strongly applauded by the children, who felt enormously proud to play such a central part in a creative process. The story was told by the children and edited by the facilitators, who also helped in the book’s creation. The theme was the life of the horse (Espelho), as told by the horse himself. The same horse that had been saved and was being cared for by the group.
This process of creating the book was very “therapeutic” for the group. Through the mirroring, each child was able to fully experience his or her history of violence, loss and sadness. At day’s end, all took care of the horses, feeding them and cleaning out the place where they were kept.
We realized that, as the children began caring for others and their own needs were cared for, they became people who were involved in a process of transformation and had the capacity of bringing about change in their surroundings. The mirroring of the child-horse relationship, with its <<shared?>> history of maltreatment, led the children to assimilate the new concepts of good treatment, respect and rights.
One of the children learned to read and write, and two others got very close to doing so. <<confusing: some already knew how to and others not. Aren’t you claiming a little much here?>> The expressiveness of the group improved substantially, although they remained very dependent on the other (the adult) in this regard. This <<not clear if the improvement or the dependence is meant here?>> became very evident in the creation of the book. The verbal expression of their emotions also changed: many children were much freer in expressing their feelings, and talked about and revealed their sadnesses, disappointments, needs and joys more clearly and openly.
The enormous loss experienced by the group when Espelho died was well worked through and expressed by the group. It was a very emotional moment, not only for them but also for those of us working as facilitators in the process. A lot of sadness was expressed and, again, they were able to freely express the pain of the loss.
There was a desire on the part of the children to change the end of the book and incorporate Espelho’s death; however, our work had already come to an end and this was not possible. <<seems a little harsh, bureaucratic?>>.
The two horses we worked with responded relatively well to the care they were given. They were well fed, medicated and protected, and were able to express their temperaments<<characters?>>, which had up until then been concealed by the apathy resulting from malnutrition and illness.
Despite the short period of time involved, the work with this group was a success. We all experienced moments of great power and of extreme growth.
5. PROJECT FOLLOW-UP
A NEW CONTINUITY...
Just before the end of our work, one of the children came to us to ask for our help in saving a foal which was being very badly treated <<ok? Tense in original is confusing>>. This animal had no food, since its mother had died after giving birth because she was very ill. All the children in the group were very sensitized <<”affected”?>> by the case and also wanted to save the animal.
We realized at that moment that our work was beginning to bear fruit. That this group of children were sensitized to the maltreatment of animals, alerted to this reality and ready to change it.
We also believe that this perception, sensitivity and critical thinking had also been incorporated into their relationships with their fellow creatures and into their small universe of relationships, within their community and families.
