5 years in The Sacred Valley, 2 years in Cusco – Peru
VISION: To provide a day when children of The Sacred Valley of the Incas in Perú can play to their hearts’ content, experience joy, and receive a positive message that feeds their souls.
The idea for the Children’s Festival was initiated by Jose Marroquin, who lives in Grants Pass Oregon; he returns to the Sacred Valley each year to promote a variety of children’s projects. The festival is, for the most part funded by donations from the United States, and is organized by local residents and the congregation from the Misión America Church in Urubamba. Volunteers from local organizations are actively involved as well. Activities include: face painting, puppetry, soccer, crafts, search-and-rescue, police, fire, and health department demonstrations.
In 2003, we inaugurated the first Children’s Festival in the town of Urubamba. An annual event now, this festival provides joyful fun along with health and educational opportunities, to hundreds of children of the Sacred Valley of the Incas (900 plus attended in 2004). A second annual Children’s Festival was initiated in 2006 in the nearby the city of Cusco.
The festivals’ objectives:
1) To provide a day for the children of the Sacred Valley of the Incas, and surrounding areas, where they can explore, identify, develop abilities and talents, enjoy the different recreational and educational, and artistic activities.
2) Motivate the mental, spiritual, physical health of the children in the Sacred Valley
3) To improve self-confidence of the children
4) encourage the local people, parents, organization, institutions to network, and to work together to create other opportunities for the children e.g. karate/soccer programs, church activities.