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The Wayuu Taya Foundation completed this year one of the most important social projects in Venezuela.
 Sponsored by Technology Company Hewlett-Packard, the foundation provided elementary school “Jesus Redentor” new physical classrooms and installed a computer lab that is being used to launch an education program for indigenous communities’ development
The new “Jesus Redentor” elementary school’s infrastructure was officialy opened on november 28th. This public institution, located in a small village in Mara (Zulia, Venezuela), has been assisted by our foundation since 2006.
Members and Volunteers from Wayuu Taya Foundation in Venezuela attended to the openning ceremony. The Hewlett-Packard General Manager in Venezuela also attended and shared with us the satisfaction to assist a whole school community with a population of 250 children from wayuu etnia. HP donated three new classrooms and one computer lab with equipment and tools for children learning.
The entire school community participated during the opening activities (director, teachers and parents). The children showed their happy faces as they have now a shelter to study and computers to learn and explore the technology world
 Sponsored by HP
Hewlett-Packard Venezuela (HP) has been a technology sponsor of Wayuu Taya Foundation (WTF) since 2005. This year HP joined forces with WTF and selected “Jesus Redentor” to be one
of the first Latin American schools to receive a Technology for Teaching K-12 grant. The grant provided resources to create a computer lab with capacity of 20 children and integrate the use of computers and printers into classroom instruction and student learning. HP also provided local funds to build three (3) new classrooms.
The HP contribution included the following components:
- Three (3) new classrooms
- One Computer Lab
- 10 HP Laptops PCs for children
- One HP Tablet PC for teachers
- One HP Digital Camera
- One HP Photosmart all-in-one (printer/scanner/copy machine)
- One Video Beam
In addition, HP Volunteers worked with Wayuu Taya Foundation to install the computer lab and provide computer training to administrators, teachers and students
Upon
conclusion of the 4th Annual Wayúu Tayá
Foundation Benefit, Patricia Velasquez took the time before
going to bed at 2:46 am to send an email to all of her
collaborators in the evenings’ event, thanking them
sincerely for their efforts. The event, celebrated at
Manhattan’s Soho Grand Hotel, was a huge success
and for this reason she wanted to show her gratefulness
to each individual who responded to her call to help make
this event a reality. The team included everyone from
the Wayuu Taya family in Venezuela, Los Angeles and New
York; and without the participation from both countries
this event would not have been possible.
As
a result of this event the Wayúu Tayá Foundation
will be able to continue its mission of providing aid
to the indigenous inhabitants of the Guajira region of
Venezuela, a mission that began in 2002. The central component
of their work, the Roof Center, currently provides education
and two meals a day to 200 children as well as family
planning, parenting classes and employment to 100 women
who are given materials to weave “Susu” bags,
a typical product of the region that has been transformed
into a source of community income. Now, due to the funds
raised by the event, they will be able to increase their
capacity to welcome more women and children under their
roof.
This
years’ event was once again graced by the presence
of the incomparable Iman, who co-hosted the event along
with Wayúu Tayá President and Founder Patricia
Velásquez. The evening began with a cocktail hour
in the panoramic Penthouse Loft, where nearly 300 guests
gathered to celebrate the evening. Many guests, such as
Anna Wilding, actress of New Zealand origin, and Padma
Lakshmi, Hindu model and presenter of Top Chef (Bravo
TV), courteously stopped for a moment on the red carpet
in order to have their photo snapped. The guests were
then entertained with a riveting performance by Latin
Grammy nominated Venezuelan band Los Amigos Invisibles.
The
dinner was also hosted in the Penthouse Loft, this time
looking north towards the most classic of buildings, the
Empire State. Soledad O’Brien, the celebrated journalist
from CNN, was the emcee for the evening and after a gracious
welcome to the dinner guests, the program for the evening
began. The focus of the night served to pay tribute to
three individuals of outstanding humanitarian spirit:
the model/activist Petra Nemcova; media magnate Earl Jones;
and Eileen Ford, co-founder of Ford Models, who was accompanied
by her husband, Jerry Ford, her daughter Katie, who is
the current CEO of Ford Models, and the famed hotelier
André Balasz.
Others
in attendance included Zhang Ziyi, the well-known actress
from "Memoirs of a Geisha”, who attended the
event with her fiancé, Vivi Nevo. They shared a
table with Camilla Olsson, a member of the Wayúu
Tayá Board, and Candace Bushnell, creator of the
acclaimed “Sex and the City” series, who presented
the award to Petra Nemcova.
The
live auction, hosted by Amy Sacco, was a great success
thanks to dresses donated by famed designers Carolina
Herrera and Narciso Rodriguez, artwork by Peter Tunney,
as well as several travel packages, one of which was donated
by Ms. Velásquez herself. There was also a beautiful
black and white photo of Patricia Veálsquez photographed
and donated by Sante D'Orazio.
As
keynote speaker, Michael Thomas, leader of the Mashantucket
Pequot Nation, narrated his personal experiences as a
native of North America, a history of hope for all the
indigenous people of the world. Finally, last but certainly
not least, the performances of the evening included singer
Marta Redbone, an award winner in contemporary Native
American music, along with a final performance by Grammy
Award winner Jody Watley who put an appropriate celebratory
cap on the evenings event.
Overall
it was truly an extraordinary evening full of sincerity
and human kindness - no matter that the room was slightly
too small for the number of guests. There is something
that draws people closer naturally when we are united
for a common good. And it is not often that we get to
witness people gathering together to celebrate a culture
that might seem, to some, far away, and furthermore to
protect and make room for this culture in this ever shrinking
world. In fact, it is too seldom that this type of event
occurs and that is why it is all the more beautiful when
it happens.
 We
are pleased to announce that this past May 13th, The
Wayúu Tayá Foundation inaugurated
its first Tepichi Talashi Preschool and Women Center
in the Mara region of Venezuela. The Tepishi Talashi
Pre-school and Women’s Center are both part of
The Wayúu Tayá
Foundation’s Roof Project.
The
Roof Project seeks to create a centrally located network
of facilities where-by the members of poverty-stricken
communities can benefit from both education, and nutritional
care while developing their work skills.
The
pre-school and women’s center are the result of
more than two years of arduous planning, hard work,
and dedication.
The
pre-school will service the needs of more than 70 children
between three to six years of age and they will receive
two meals a day while they attend school.
At
the Women’s Center, women from Mara will have
the chance to be educated in the areas of family planning
and nutrition by a qualified member from the community.
These women will be provided with the tools necessary
for them to create their handcrafts, which in turn helps
to maintain their culture and tradition while providing
the means to earn a modest income. The
Wayúu Tayá Foundation is currently
provide an outlet via its website (www.wayuutaya.org)
for the sale of these unique items such as beautifully
woven bags.
We
would like to express our gratitude to HBO, Intercable,
Mobile Space System, HP, FEDE, Mara's Mayor's office
and all the people who made this inauguration possible.
In other news, our Third Annual Benefit Gala will took place on June 20th at the Tribeca Grand Hotel.
Our honorees were Russell Simmons, Edward
James Olmos and Lila Downs.
Thank
you all for your continued support!
Click
here to view pictures.
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