Fundacion Mahatma Gandhi

Crisálida and Mariposas

Projects Crisálida (Chrysalis) and Las Mariposas (The Butterflies) for girls in Las
Terrenas are meant to strengthen self-esteem, help girls with their changing
anatomical and psychological nature, enhance motor skills through recreation and
sports and support their academic development through academic enhancement
workshops. Often girls get the short-end of the stick in communities when limited
resources provide limited recreational and educational opportunities to early-teens
and teens. Proyecto Crisálida aims at providing girls 10-15 with key components in
their social, physical and academic development, whereas Projecto Las Mariposas
(Butterflies) seeks the same for girls 15-18.

Interns and volunteers work in all-female teams, providing workshops, camps and
events targeted at each of the relevant areas of the programs. Volunteers select
the tools they want to use, either by creating their own or using some already
available from the Foundation. They recruit, select time and days and define the
activities. The meetings can be as structured as the volunteer wants it to be and
girls are usually recruited from the local schools, the neighborhood and/or the
regular library users.

The summer offers special opportunities as many girls have basically nothing
entertaining or productive to do, but all activities are meant to continue during the
school year depending on the level of community support and resources (including
interns and volunteers) that become available.

This project is very rewarding as the special attention, encouragement and
investment that girls receive will enhance their self-esteem, will provide them with
tools to avoid self-destructive behaviors and will give them reason to hope that
their lives will be different--richer and more meaningful.