Geração Tecla

Geração Tecla is a project providing everyday school support classes for the neighborhood children, including the Roma Community ones, as well as free time and holiday activities. The main goal is to promote social inclusion through the development of professional competences and digital literacy, inclusion in the job market, school integration, promotion of a dynamic community and citizenship of the children and youngsters from Santa Tecla’s neighborhood.

The official description of the project sounds like this, but I think it needs a little bit easier one, or maybe just said in the more simple way.

In the picture below you can see main activities that are held in Geração Tecla. These activities are concentrated on the kids, but as you see in the description above, they also include other age groups.

For me, Geração Tecla is the place where I spend most time with the kids. Where I learned how to talk without using words, because sometimes even knowing the language it’s not enough, kids also have their own language that sometimes can be different version of Portuguese that you know.

Place, where I can improve my craft skills, trying to think of a different activity for every week that kids would be interested to do; that would take not more than an hour; that would be hard and easy at the same time; that the final result would be visible the same day and that it would not brake on the way home.

Place, where I can try doing some sports with kids. Like being a football coach. It’s not a problem if you have played basketball your whole life or is it? Trying to make a relay and explaining everything in Portuguese even not trusting my language skills that much. Trying to play some games with them outside and finding out, that they are all the same in all the countries.

Going to schools and remembering how it is good to be a kid. Remembering the ways you were jumping the rope and learning other new fun ways. Also trying to bring the games from your past and seeing that they still work after almost 20 years.

All in all, Geração Tecla is a one big playground where you can improve yourself as a grown up and still behave as a kid!

Gi