At the start of the Tamil school holidays, we organised a very interesting workshop. Rachel, a volunteer from France, a girl very expressive and friendly, offered a stunning morning to all the children, told stories about the nature, about animals, taught how to make flowers, playing the saxophone, the guitar and much more!!

And guess what?

We did all this with environmentally friendly and recyclable balloons.

These balloons are made with latex, this material is a 100 per cent natural substance that breaks down both in sunlight and water. The degradation process begins almost immediately. Oxidation, the “frosting” that makes latex balloons look as if they are losing their colour, is one of the first signs of the process.    Exposure to sunlight quickens the process, but natural microorganisms attack natural rubber, even in the dark.

Research shows that under similar environmental conditions, latex balloons will biodegrade at about the same rate as a leaf from an oak tree.   The actual total degradation time will vary depending the precise conditions.

Rubber trees, from which the latex for balloons is harvested, are one of the main forms of vegetation in tropical rain forests, which in recent years have become crucial to maintaining the earth’s fragile ecological balance.    Harvesting latex can be more profitable to poor third world nations than raising cattle on the deforested land.

Even when the trees producing latex for balloon manufacturing grow on plantations instead of in rain forests, they help the ecosystem, as the natural biology of the trees helps maintain our atmosphere and protect the ozone layer.

Was amazing to see the kids so happy, so astonished and surprised with all the creativity that Rachel demonstrated. They had a lot of fun, learned to build flowers with balloons too, and all the eyes were shinning, the mouths were open, the atmosphere was of pure bliss and joy. One day that nobody will forget, the proof that life is full of magic.

Hello dear friends, we are your ancestors and we write you to tell you about what is going on in our Planet and in ourselves in the year 2010. 

In this last century, there have been countless changes in our lives. We have passed from a simple and traditional way of living to a fast-paced and complex way.  Computers have become a necessity and we can’t live without them. We are able to know what is happening virtually anywhere around the world, every second of the day. Our generation have become dependent on all the technology around us. Television and cell phones are being used and removing us further from nature. Cities are becoming larger and congested, and people are constantly worrying about money and not worrying about being in contact with each other. Many people took out bank loans and have become dependent on this money and have lost their freedom.  Diseases such as depression and stress are becoming more commonplace.  

Our forests are gradually disappearing just like the coral reefs. There are many animals, on land and in the sea, that have become extinct due to human existence. We are changing the Earth.  Pollution, global warming, overpopulation are a few of the crimes that we have committed.  

But we are feeling hopeful!! 

Today there are many people that are changing the current way of living and starting amazing projects and living in an alternative lifestyle. We are slowly going back to nature and having a healthy life and beginning to think sincerely about the impact we have on this planet and are consciously trying to create a better place for coming generations, like yours. We understand that it is difficult to change the things that are wrong on this planet but we have a solution. By having a spiritual life for ourselves and being as pure as we can be, we have the potential to bring awareness and to be better human beings.

We can be positive and optimistic. We need to share and to give back to the earth. To express ourselves through art, to be more ecological, to eat good food, to plant some more trees, to play with the children, and to respect everybody. These are some ways we can simply decrease the problem with the earth.  

Metamorphosize, find the inner silence, find the beauty in the simple things, find the happiness inside each of us, be grateful to be alive and to have the opportunity to see all these miracles surrounding us.

We are already creating new schools and new spaces for children. We aspire to maintain the connection with nature, to experiment and to understand that we are only a part of something better. We need to be in tune with the ecosystem around us, know the place where you live and have time to explore it. Learn about things that are really important for your life, like how to grow your own vegetables and fruit and how to make your house more ecofriendly. 

Arts are very important to help express someone’s creativity. Painting, drawing, music, dance and handicrafts are outlets for your creativity.  

Nevertheless, the most important idea is to find happiness, but this must be in balance  and respect nature and all the living beings of this Planet. You need to  view the world as a big community and to love it and make it better.