Recommendations

Guatemala, October 10th, 2011

I am writing in support of BuildaBridge International. We have worked with BuildaBridge on multiple projects in Guatemala City over the past 5-6 years including 4 week long arts camps with children living in extreme poverty, the placement if interns, mural projects in two different maximum security prisons with gang members and a City consultation on the arts in transformation. They have helped us provide training for artists in our leadership training network called “La Estrategia de Transformación” (EdT) and have consulted with members of our network helping to implement various arts related projects, events and initiatives that were birthed from the training activity in the country.


Because of the work of BuildaBridge we have been empowered and equipped to serve the grassroots leaders of Guatemala City with viable resources and an objective centered training process that BuildaBridge has delivered here. Artists have been mobilized, encouraged and empowered in amazing ways and have learned how to take the step from being great artists to great artists who know how to teach their art to others. That is something few artists know how to do and is exactly the fire that BuildaBridge has ignited in many hearts.

For example, as I write this, 100 children from Central America’s largest slum are preparing to go on a week long arts camp on the Caribbean coast. The camp is being headed up by a ministry in this particular slum that went through extensive mentorship under BuildaBridge. Local Guatemalan artists will be the teachers at the camp, all of whom were trained by BuildaBridge. The work of BuildaBridge is done in such a way that it empowers local leaders and unleashes their creativty to serve their own communities with incredible competence and confidence.

I believe that BuildaBridge is worthy of your support and I would be more than willing to be contacted if my input can be of more help in anyway. Contact information listed below.

Joel Van Dyke, D.Min.
Director, Estrategia de Transformación Ciudad de Guatemala, Central America E-mail: vandykejm@earthlink.net