Free4Kids, Latin America, Marginalised Communities, Social Capoeira projects

Escuela de Capoeira Nago-Peru: Proyecto Educativo IWA PELE

Project

Escuela de Capoeira Nago-Peru:Proyecto Educativo Iwa Pele

Location

Alto da Bela Vista, Itapuã, Brazil

Target

The Iwa Pele project was set up in 2012 to address issues of social exclusion and marginalisation affecting poor, mainly Afro-descendant communities in Lima, Peru. Voluntary staff work with children in the Municipality of La Victoria, a district affected by high rates of poverty, violence and social exclusion. Through a range of artistic, cultural and educational activities including dance, percussion and drawing, the Iwa Pele project provides a safe and friendly space for vulnerable children from the community to develop personal and social skills to better confront the everyday challenges that they face.

Impact

Since 2013 the Iwa Pele project has been offering the children weekly Capoeira classes with Profesor Fernando Hurtado from Capoeira Nago-Peru. The classes enable the children to develop important skills such as confidence, self-esteem and discipline providing them with a non-violent approach to challenging the community violence around them. Through learning about the Afro-descendant history and roots of Capoeira they are also able to develop greater understanding and connection with their own African roots and identity, giving them a much needed sense of pride in their community’s culture and history.