Supporting Community Development in Puerto Rico

In la Maraña displacement is an imminent threat that constantly shapes our work and collaborations. The closing of over 600 public schools has been a detrimental move against the well being of our communities, specifically impoverished youth. This massive school closing initiative has resulted in abandoned spaces, many of them quickly deteriorating over the lack of maintenance. These spaces have since become niches for animal plagues and clandestine garbage disposal. 

In response to the closings many communities have organized recovery efforts reclaiming schools and turning them into learning hubs, organizing spaces, green infrastructure and living quarters. 

Hence our interest in sustaining those types of community efforts from our Participatory Design Lab we have partnered with Proyecto Impacto Comunitario, Inc, in Fortuna Playa Luquillo. Their school recovery effort is intended to preserve and utilize an abandoned schoolground in their coastal vicinity with the mission of promoting social justice, integral well being and strengthening the resilience of those most vulnerable. 

In our partnership we have agreed to collaborate with 2 work brigades, an imagining workshop and a 5k inversion. At the time of this report we volunteered with a team from Stryker, one of the world's leading medical technology companies to hold a solidarity brigade. During the brigade we scraped and painted four classrooms, we cleared the surroundings from garbage and debris and were able to leave the space with equipment and materials for next brigades or community efforts. 

We believe that there is an urgent need to rehabilitate spaces for the community, prevent them from becoming part of the speculative real estate market and from being consumed by climate change erosion and damage. 

With your financial support we can continue the work of our Participatory Design Lab. Make sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook to stay updated and see how communities reach their goals and make their desires reality.

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