Hogar Rafael Ayau
Hogar Rafael Ayau Orphanage
Hogar Rafael Ayau is an orphanage based out of Guatemala in Central America to help take care of disadvantaged children due to circumstances beyond their control.
Alan Russell, the businessman, philanthropist, educator who his heavily involved with the Hogar Rafael Ayau orphanage though his leadership as Chairman of the Board at Liberty Fund approached me to see if there was a way WoodMarvels.com could contribute to their cause.
When I was a kid, I really liked the idea of Santa Claus (the Coca-cola version, not the Norwegian one). I’d like nothing more than to have the financial resources later in life to be given the opportunity to send wooden toys to kids all around the world!
There is something so satisfying and heart-felt about giving a child something that they will remember their entire lives which comes from a living being and hopefully passed onto the next generation. Wooden toys are FUN to design, easy to repair and unlike plastic, actually become part of you the more you play with it (beyond splinters). Alan has afforded me the opportunity to live-out one of my dreams and I’m extremely happy to have a workshop in Guatemala full of anxious kids cutting, assembling and selling my CNC designs (using a ShopBot) locally to help support themselves and their orphanage! I can’t wait to get some pictures to share it with you guys on this blog!
What I like about this orphanage, including the amazing new location they are currently building, is that they are teaching the children how to be innovative, entrepreneurial and as a result, develop hope in a better future for themselves. They were given a pretty bad start in life but with hard work and determination… are given both the supporting environment and self-esteem which is incredibly important to break the cycle of poverty they see around them. What’s even better is that these lessons are given by developing a very important skill… that of woodworking!
I think that all schools in the world should have a woodworking classroom with mandatory participation, you learn so much – from math and algebra (in a fun, non-boring way) to working with your hands and environmental respect.
I know that when I have children, they will be surrounded by wooden toys (some 3D printed ones too!) and their main tasks after school will be in the held in the wood shop teaching them everything I have learned.
You can find-out more about Hogar Rafael Ayau by visiting their website and if you think you have something to contribute, feel free to get a hold of Alan through the Liberty Fund. As for me, I’ll continue designing and playing with toys as long as I am able – and am very happy to be involved in this worthy endeavor to bring the joys of woodcraft to the children who need it most!