Barlovento Community Center, Venezuela

The northern coast of central Venezuela consists of many poor townships that are periodically hit by floods, rockslides, mudslides, and droughts. In December 1999 and January 2000, disastrous floods swept through coastal areas, causing many deaths, property damage and environmental problems. One of the areas hardest hit was the Barlovento region.

In 2001, the Barlovento Community Center emerged from disaster relief activities in the area. Working with residents of the local communities, the Center began to address the economic, health, and educational needs of the people. Its programs strive to develop community solidarity, to empower the people, and to infuse positive values in the children and youth.

Its accomplishments include the following programs and activities:

• A program called Youth in Action that engages young people in drama, art, sports and training in self-awareness and social behavior.
• A library was installed with 7 donated computers to serve the youth of the community
• The center organizes sports teams for youth between the ages of 9-13.
• A 3-month course on the different uses of plantain, a local crop and important nutritional source, is conducted for women in surrounding villages.
• Agricultural development supplies food and income for the Center. Horticultural activity includes the planting of 600 plantain, 100 papaya, 30 mandarin, 5 lemon and 5 mango trees.
• The commercialization of food products for achieving economic self-sufficiency, including the processing of mango into frozen concentrate and jam and the production of plantain and yucca flour, ice cream, granola and other products.
• An apiculture project with 10 beehives.
• A sewing cooperative for marginalized women.

“Not in our wildest dreams did we ever think we would perform for the public on a stage, all of this, thanks to the people of the community center that gave us the tools to learn music and build our own drums.”

Member of Tambor y Fuego, a drum group from the center