the first time we went we saw this a
landfill located in the latina of the
bars wearing an abandoned 30 years
solar where nobody had been able
build because below the wall passes
Christian was all full of herbs
of crystals the street sun and apis was
A whole disaster we fell in love
hello I’m cristina peregrina this is my
daughter mae we live in the latina and that day
on November 20, 2015 together with
other mothers and fathers of the neighboring neighborhood
urban planners and representatives
of the townhall
we make a decision that solar and world
it was going to be for our children
have you ever asked where
are the children in the city because they do not
they play on the street technology
mobile computers ipads but
television and planning
urban has a lot to do with this
there are no places designed for children
cars govern the city
missing squares are missing gardens places
where to be where to play for that day
we all agreed
that dump located in the latina of
the bars and tourists was going to be for
them because the latina
there are also children from the first day
that children enter three almond trees
because that’s where the
almond tree right on the floor digs
children place their pirate flag and they
they play and we ask them
what do you want here
as you imagine the almond tree which
they are your dreams and they tell us
mountains houses in the pirate trees
a robot closet friends forever
eternal sandwiches
elephant a human duck in no
moment they talk about swings or
toys and adults
We asked for the same thing but with our
words neither parents nor children
we wanted plastics or slides
we wanted everything to be created every
day
we dreamed of a natural space without
artificial interventions in which
everything was happening
even the assemblies happened alone
a few days we started playing the handkerchief
others put cartons on the floor
so that children could build
their dreams
We learned to listen to us to organize
we have been deliberating for almost
two years building in community
deciding many things
seeing us one day a week
Tuesday every Tuesday the first demands
they were the most basic
water and soil although we cleaned
every day the garbage was still
coming out in almond trees had been a
dump for too long layers
and layers of debris that we were not
able to finally remove in December
of 2016 a work is done to
condition the space
That work is special for many reasons
because children participate and they
involve in the whole process because it
decides to reuse the materials that
They are in different warehouses
City Hall because it is cleaned but
always respecting the history of the place
and the wall that it has and since the century
11 these woods are recycled woods
with them together with architects and
urban planners
we have built this bank
another example of reuse of
materials is was since I was in the
barceló market
when we wanted to throw the walls of
almond tree to be seen from the
street to be able to infect all the
neighborhood
we wanted it was already the one that
let me see what was happening to
another side and this wall we painted it
white to be able to project some
weeks we have done our
the first almond festival inviting
to the whole neighborhood and we have inaugurated
our summer cinema we organize a
excursion to nursery stoves
retirement so that the children could
choose the plants that were going to be in
the solar
when we arrived we gardeners
explain which are the most
suitable for the space but the
children have their own criteria
they like hairy ones
They have animal shapes or colors
more exotic and once the plants
they come to the almond tree all together
we put to plant if one day Friday at
almond tree that you will see
you are going to see a space that we have wanted
leave empty where children say no
I’m playing, I’m working
you will see children with sticks with stones
carrying buckets of water from a site to
another with his hands full of mud
you’ll see how they think one day they build
a reservoir that have become
small architects others a footbridge
of stone an igloo and you will see how
all those inventions
the next day they are no longer because
everything they build is ephemeral and
while mothers and fathers
we let fears aside let’s stop
say care do not touch do not do
we learned to relax and enjoy
the almond tree has generated something
unusual what before the wild thing that
could only happen in the village in the
field has arrived in the city
many times we do not understand what they play
you do not need to understand this is another of
the keys in an educational environment that
look for the end the note
the result we do not want
no end
we want to enjoy the process and about
all learn from them at every moment
If you come to the almond tree, maybe
find treasures that the elders have
gone hiding for you and the Egyptians
archaeological remains or faces of
surprise when the children do not
they find because older people also
We want to play
but we have discovered that in the
almond tree there are many more treasures
hidden for example the links of
friendship and support that have been created
among neighborhood families or
links with shops in the area
that is our supposed enemies a
day when we got the almond tree
we found with this letter that said
dear girls and boys of the almond tree
we are very happy that you are
Here we offer you water and the use of
our bathrooms signed an inn
near and another day that was long
cold
they came with hot broths for all
and that is that in the almond tree
you never know what’s going to happen how was
I would imagine that I would fall in love with a
dump but there are three things that
we know that an empty space is a
treasure because in it you experience and you
learn that if a city is worth
children
It’s worth to everyone that the almond tree can not
exist just have to infect for
that an almond tree is born every day and
last we have done it but now it is
the most important thing is to take care of it
this has been our particular way of
inhabit or conquer a space
abandoned
sure there are many more but what
important is that this is possible
so come and see us because always
there will be eternal friends sandwiches for
always and an elephant that the same does not
You see, but this one
thank you very much
[Applause]
[Music]
”
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