It seems like almost yesterday, when we started the Elephant Minds Foundation, with the aim of supporting those who have limited or no access to education, but we have actually been running since 2013! Five wonderful years where the support of our students, friends, members, and many supporters has allowed us to get involved with some incredible projects around the world. We have been especially busy over the past two years, with particular focus on our work in Argentina, India and Tanzania.

Museo Evocativo y de Bellas Artes Osvaldo Gasparini, Argentina

The Elephant Minds Foundation has been working closely with the Museo Evocativo y de Bellas Artes Osvaldo Gasparini in San Antonio de Areco, Argentina, since 2016, after they made an appeal for help with renovations to the main and surrounding buildings. We were delighted to get involved as their commitment to the preservation of the arts and traditions of the Pampas and their iconic gauchos, along with the educational programmes that the museum wishes to run are exactly the kinds of projects that the Elephant Minds Foundation wants to support. Working together with the loving and talented Gasparini family who founded the museum more than fifty years ago, we quickly drew up an ambitious restoration plan, including:

• The painting of the exhibition rooms in the main house and the artist’s workshop
• Re-cataloguing and changing the way that the art work is displayed
• Restoring the exhibition building, La Recova, and adding a new roof and seating area
• Painting the Old Chapel
• Building new toilets
• Acquiring a new screen, PC, bookshelves and chairs
• Re-planting garden area and terrace

This is by no means finished. Yes, such restoration plans do take a long time and we still need you. However, we are delighted that work has progressed. This would have been impossible without the help of our loyal supporters and the Elephant Minds Foundation would like to thank everyone who has made a donation or has got involved in the project. We would very much like to continue supporting this dream so if you think you can help the museum get in touch with us or contact the family at the Museo Evocativo y de Bellas Artes Osvaldo Gasparini or La Recova, in San Antionio de Areco. We have also partnered with the wonderful Juliana Zolecio, who has become a member of the Foundation and is helping us with our work on the series ‘El Museo y la Educación’ (Museums and Education), where we explore the cultural links between the aforementioned subjects. You will find other articles on the subject by Gladys M Acevedo and Patricia C Prada Jimenez.

Latin American House, London

Our founder and director, Patricia C Prada Jimenez, has also taught free English language courses at Latin American House in London, throughout 2017, supporting those who have just arrived in the UK so that they would have the skills they need to find a job or start an educational course. We understand how difficult it is for many to move to a different country and begin a new life. We wish to continue doing everything we can to help them integrate into society and become valuable members of their communities.

Warioba School and Day Care Centre, Africa

The Elephant Minds Foundation has also been working closely with the School and Children’s Day Care Centre in Tanzania, whose incredible teacher and mentor, Warioba, is a model for teachers elsewhere. He uses his home as a day care centre for his students and tirelessly goes the extra mile by seeking to acquire funding and materials from all available sources to provide these children with the best means in order to have a good education. From the moment that the Elephant Minds Foundation got in contact with Warioba we were determined to help him and we instantly began a fundraising campaign for the school. Thanks to your help this project was immediately successful and new classrooms and toilets were built in the school in less than a month! We have since also received another generous donation which allowed us to buy them a much-needed water tank. We hope to continue to support Wairoba’s School in the future, furthering our goal of bringing enriching educational experiences to more children around the world.

Los Museos Vamos, Goya, Corrientes, Argentina

The Elephant Minds Foundation also supports the Museo Gauchesco Curuzú and Museo de Mitos y Leyendas Guaraníes from Goya, Corrientes, Argentina, which, among other projects, continues with ‘Los Museos Vamos’ (Museums GO), where a team of recognised artists and writers visit rural schools and provide enriching educational experiences with the help of the school’s regular teachers and administrators. Thanks to the generous work of their Director, Gladys M Acevedo, the Elephant Minds Foundation often travels with them and supports their work.

Books for India

We also purchased books for the growing Mini Library in Uttar Pradesh, India, offering disadvantaged people from the area the opportunity to learn something new, develop their skills and become better prepared for work and educational careers. We plan to extend this project to Africa and South America soon, allowing the Elephant Minds Foundation to bring books to people in some of the world’s poorest countries.
There are so many more places where we believe that the Elephant Minds Foundation can make a difference and we are confident that with your continued support we can bring education opportunities to disadvantaged people around the world. We understand there are plenty of opportunities to help and you may generously choose from any of them. We are grateful for it as we know first-hand the difference this can make in people’s lives. We do however ask you to stay in touch with us and, in any way you can, allow us to continue with our kind work. You may sponsor one of our projects, send us books and stationary for the schools we work with, make a small financial contribution, or help us promote our work and find supporters worldwide. We would also be delighted if you could donate some of your time to help us: maybe visit one of these schools or museums when we do? If you wish to travel with us, please contact the team and see what free spaces and accommodation is available.

• Books
• Stationary
• Your time
• Children’s Clothes
• Small donation
• Ideas

Last but not least, we thank from the bottom of our hearts everyone who has been involved with the Elephant Minds Foundation: you are our strength and we appreciate everything that you do for us and the people we help.