11/5/2016

PuttingWomenFirst:TheMujeresCreandoDaycareofDreams

PuttingWomenFirst:TheMujeresCreandoDaycareof
Dreams

24Feb,2015|LauraWotton

Itis11AMonaMondaymorningandtwelveyoungchildrenwieldingplasticcarsandpicturebookstotter
aboutinthebrightlycolouredbasementoftheVirgendeLosDeseos.Anarrayofanimalcushionsline
thebackwallandanoverflowingballpitcaptivatestheyoungaudience.Itisthenewyearinscriptionday
atthedaycareandseveralmotherswaitinthepassagetocollecttheirchildrenfromthefirstofthe
morningsessions.
Ichosethisdaycareespeciallybecauseitisrunbyprofessionalpsychologistswhohelpthechildren
develop,explainsoneofthesewaitingmotherswhoenrolledherdaughtertheyearbefore.Theymake
themfeelcomfortablesothechildrendontwanttoescapeandtherearealwayseducationalprojects
andactivitiesgoingontokeeptheminterested.Theproofliesbehindtheswingingdoors.Bearingan
enormousgrinandstillclutchingabrightblueball,herdaughterburststhroughintothepassagewayto
greethermother.
YetwalkingdownAvenue20deOctubre,itsdifficulttoimaginethegaudyredexteriorofVirgendeLos
Deseosasadaycarecentre.Blackenedwindowpanes,abloodredpairofpaintedlipsandatwisted
muralofacrouchingwoman,giveanairofseductivemysterytotheplace,untilyoucrossitsthreshold
intothequainttearoomwithin.
BoththetearoomandthedaycarearerunbyMujeresCreando,ananarchafeministgroupthatseeks
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PuttingWomenFirst:TheMujeresCreandoDaycareofDreams

toexposeentrenchedgenderprejudicesinBolivia.Theydothismainlythroughprotests,streetartand
broadcastmedia,andtheirmessageisclear:womenareentitledtoequalopportunity,opinionand
sexuality.Whilstexercisingthesebasicrightscanbedifficultinapatriarchalsociety,theorganisationhas
putforthasetofinitiativesthatareprovingtoberevolutionary.
Thepinkhouse,thoughsmall,isvitaltothisoperation.Tosome,itisatearoomservinghotapiand
homebakedpasteltoothers,abedforthenightwhenhorrorsathomebecometoomuchtobear.But
thebasementhasevenmoretooffer.Asignoutsideannouncesthereturnofthepinkhousesthird
initiative,MiMamaTrabaja,afeministdaycareservicethatpromisesmothersthechancetoreignite
theirdreamsanddesiresintheeverydaystruggleforhappiness.
AkeymemberofMujeresCreando,RosarioAdrianhasbeenrunningthedaycaresince2007.Heraim
wastoswiftlylaunchaschemedesignedtosalvagethecareersandambitionsofwomenotherwise
occupiedinaroundtheclockdaycareoftheirown.AccordingtoRosario,thegeneralizedvisionof
womenasexpertsonlyinchildcareandcomercioinformalisonlyapatriarchalimaginingofan
overwhelminglyemptymotherhood.SinceRosariorecognisesthatthegenericfamilynucleusisoften
justthemother,shedesignedaprogramthatallowswomennotjusttowork,buttogrow,togainsome
autonomy,todothings,includinghelpingotherwomensheexplains.
Thedaycareisaselfsufficientscheme,independentofgovernmentfundingandwithindependent
womenatitscore.Paintedceilingtofloorincolourfulmurals,itislessaparkinglotforchildrenthana
fullyequippedactivitycentrethatpromiseseducational,emotionalandphysicalsupportforallthosewho
enroll.ItisaplacewherechildrencangotofindrespectandaffectionsaysRosario,sometimesthey
fightamongstthemselvesbuttheyhavetolearnhowtodealwiththesesituations.
PartofwhatmakesMiMamaTrabajaspecialisthatthedaycareoperatesasUnserviciosocial,where
themothersareseenasmujeressolidarias,whobringteaandcaketoworkshops,provideemotional
supportforeachotherand,attimes,assistoneanotherfinanciallywhenendsdontmeet.Alongsidethe
centersdailyactivities,thestaffencouragesresponsibleparenthoodbysettingupworkshopsfor
mothersandfathersinvolved.
Asthenameoftheorganizationsuggests,MujeresCreandoinjectscreativityintoallofitsinitiatives,
includingthedaycare.Theeducationalmaterialstheyusearecleverandoriginal.Here,racial,social
andsexualprejudicesarebroughtupdailyonlytobebrokendown,aschildrenareeducatedaboutthe
realitiesoftheadultworldandothertopicsusuallydelayeduntillaterintheschoolcurriculum.Turning
thepagesofonethebooksusedatthecenter,BarbaraColesMampusounhuevo,Iwasstruckbyits
frankillustrationofsex,theplayfulillustrationsofMamandPapunphasedbythissocialtaboo.'Sex
andsexualrelationshipsareimportanttoanearlyunderstandingofourownbodies',saysRosario,
protectingchildrenfromwhatisnaturalisonlyadetrimenttotheirteenageyears.
Thecostoftheserviceismarginallyhigherthanthatofstatesponsoreddaycares,butcheaperthan
privatealternatives.Theonlydifference,Rosariosays,isthatwhattheyhavetoofferispriceless.
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PuttingWomenFirst:TheMujeresCreandoDaycareofDreams

Workingmorning,dayandnight,eachstaffmemberisprofessionallytrained,wellequippedwith
pedagogicaltools,andmanyareaccreditedpsychologists.Theiraimistoinstillinchildrenabasic
understandingofsocialissuesbydismissingviolence,anddeconstructingtheculturalprejudicesthat
existonthetelevisionandinsocietyingeneral.Sincechildrenatthedaycareareagedbetweentwo
andfiveandatanimpressionablestageoftheirdevelopment,thisearlyeducationisintendedtohelp
changetheirattitudesasadultsinthefuture.
Theteamissmall,buttheirambitionisgreat.Nowinitsninthyear,MiMamaTrabajaremainstruetoits
initialpurpose:supportingvulnerablewomen,readdressingmaternityanddevelopingtheeducational
potentialofgenerationstocome.Itis,asRosarioconcludes,Asafeplace,awarmplace,aplaceof
education.
PHOTO:NICKSOMERS

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