The Heart Wings Creation Garden project arose from 2005, by its natural (self-taught) promoters Rafael Agustín Sánchez Espinosa and Noraida García Ríos. They intended to contribute to the creation of a space in Circumscription 23 in "Arroyo Grande", San Cristóbal municipality, Artemisa province; where a set of actions are developed to achieve the bond of children, youth and women in the community.  

This is just possible in an environment that favors and strengthens the development of values, artistic creation and the promotion of environmental awareness, through appreciation and creation workshops. The help of specialists and instructors from the Municipal House of Culture is required; a space that will also allow environmental training to be carried out.  

The House of Culture is intended to become a meeting place for popular educators and other public objectives, in interaction with already consolidated projects in San Cristóbal municipality. The project has the antecedent of a work that demonstrates the will of the coordinating group of the Creation Garden, in the development of these activities with children, youth and women; using the available means and with the contributions of teachers, parents and art instructors from the House of Culture.  

The incorporation into these workshops of children with conduct disorders and dysfunctional families -who have achieved the enrichment of their cultural heritage, the modification of the behavioral manifestations, the incorporation into the world of social relations and communication, others  have been endorsed by the results in the numerous events in which their promoters have participated-  constitute, in the opinion of the presenters, a guarantee of their sustainability and a motivation to contribute to their better development. 

Organization promoting the project: 

“Celestino García” House of Culture. 

# 88 Capitán Reyes Street, San Cristóbal, Artemisa. 

Organism: San Cristóbal Municipal Directorate of Culture. 

The project is inserted in the Local Development Strategy of the territory, and -for its objectives- responds to priorities at National Level.

BACKGROUND, CONTEXT AND JUSTIFICATION.                      

Throughout history, man has been using the raw materials obtained from the environment and, as a result of the development of the productive process; multiple wastes are generated, which can create new products with use, production and marketing values.

The transformation and creation from the recycling of leftover materials, to achieve new artisan’s modalities in the community, constitutes the bases of the project. Located in Los Pinos Popular Council, whose origin was given in Circumscription Nº 23; we decided to create a space where cultural, recreational, sports and environmental care activities were linked; mobilizing boys and girls, as well as different segments of the population, that were active participants during the development stage. 

In this way, the organizations in "Mango Jobo" district were integrated into the idea. Community activities and circles of interest in this space, began to be carried out -involving the primary centers of the locality, not only in the area, but it was extended to the entire Popular Council as well- participating at that time in different competitions, called by the pioneer organization OPJM and San Cristóbal House of Culture. The environmental theme was the central axis around which the process was developed. 

The authors' subsequent connection to the network of Popular Educators, their training under the umbrella of CEPRODESO and the Martin Lutter King CENTER, as well as the need to link the demands of the systematicity of the process with proximity to housing and the community environment , led to the idea of ​​using the patio of the house as a space for the workshops, which were expanded to other specialties in addition to the plastic arts, including other crafts with a strong emphasis on environmental issues and always accompanied by instructors from local art. 

The interaction with other Popular Environmental Education projects, the development of its authors in terms of training, and the constant support of culture specialists; together with the recognition and support the community has been giving little by little. All this has made possible the current concepts.  

The creative contribution to the populations involves the integration of actors of different ages, mainly children and young adolescents. They must be offered an option to keep their free time busy, in the different creative actions of the project, aimed at rescuing the best traditions of each community. Crafts are being included for all the ages that make up the community. In this way, we aspire to a decrease in medullary problems in the community; such as alcoholism, smoking, drug addiction, teenage pregnancy, school disappointments, attempted suicide or completed suicides, and STIs/HIV/AIDS. This project helps unite all the natural creators of the community.

From the formative work, strengthened in the schools involved in the project with the circles of interest; we bring infants and families closer to the new concepts of recycling. 

It is worth highlighting, the inclusive work we have carried out in the community; managing to integrate into the transformations that we make, all the institutions embedded in the area; There are examples of those carried out in the Popular Council, in the constituency and different events with a wide community participation, showing the cohesion that has been achieved in the PC work. 

Furthermore, we cannot fail to point out the altruistic contribution these institutions have maintained. 185 activities were carried out in different contexts; such as festivals, CREATE and political activities; we can mention the liberation of the FIVE Heroes by theCHAVEZ PASSED OVER HERE days -held in the Murciélago Municipal Room- April 4th (UJC and OPJM), “Martiano” Youth Movement, Environment Celebration on June 5^th, etc.  

The prizes obtained by 12 children in different national competitions, including the grand prize in the contest: I take care of the Ozone layer, in addition to participating in multiple activities; such as the celebration of the: Day of non-violence against women and children. They also obtained the first prize in the Community Event and -as project highlighted- in the Roots Event. They show the achievements of the work carried out by them; Therefore, it can be seen in the experience gallery that will be shown as a summary of the work done.

Sociocultural-political and economic context of the locality: 

• North: CP Ciro Redondo.
• South: CP José Martí.
• East: CP San Cristóbal 2.
• West: CP Mango Jobo. 

Community diagnosis: 

Cultural Promoter (1)
Natural Promoters (2)
Poets (4)
Plastic Artists (2).
Physical Education Teachers (8)
Non-formal pathway groups (3)
Art Instructors (6): 2 music, 2 plastic and 2 theater.
Troubadours (2)
Craftsmen (3)
Active teachers (43) 

Other aspects -shown in the community in a significant way- are the finding there of officials from various spheres and municipal management bodies; highly technically qualified teachers, who occupy managerial functions. There are women with a high cultural level, essentially university graduates, who stand out. There are 19 officials, 15 are women and 12 of them are black. 

In the community there are 3 work centers of significant importance, they are: Humberto Lamonte Workshop,its corporate purpose is to repair agricultural implements and motors for MINAZ and MINAG, with an operation appropriate to their potential. Livestock, as another institution -which carries out all activities related to large livestock- is empowering farmers with instruments and work utensils. The third institution is the Porcine. Its corporate purpose is the sale and storage of pork, for the supply of the municipality. 

As a service infrastructure, there is a type 1 medical office and three food stalls. 

The development of self-employment activity has had a flourishing development in recent years, as in the whole country.

Controversial situation:

• -There is low level of environmental awareness of the inhabitants, about the deterioration of the environment that surrounds them, and the need for care and preservation. 

• Another problem that afflicts this community is the lack of places for recreation for children, women and young people; as well as places where they can develop creativity and artistic talent. Those places are concentrated in the head of San Cristóbal municipality.

• The deterioration of values, ​​such as: solidarity, brotherhood, honesty, and responsibility -including the commitment with the world, we will bequeath to future generations- among others. It is manifested in inappropriate behaviors; and has been detected in the diagnoses made in educational centers -especially in students who come from dysfunctional families and live in peripheral neighborhoods- where, as in this 23 constituency, illegal homes have proliferated in nonurban places.   

• A survey in 12 dysfunctional homes, where school-age children and adolescents coexist; as well as a group of 6 children with disabilities or syndromes that limit their social incorporation; as well as their levels of communication in the environment they operate in the constituency. This is a problem that requires the will and integration of all factors, and the search for alternatives that favor their attention, beyond the existing institutionalized spaces.