Christmas is for giving back

It’s very important for us at Magicians Without Borders to use magic as a tool to inspire hope. We think it is working, as these two acts of giving back came from the kids of the magic club in Bogota, Colombia.

First, they went to do a volunteer show (on their own, without their magic teachers) at an elderly home for low income grandparents called Juan Pablo Segundo, the kids went, kept them company, shared some time and amazed them with a magic show. The kids said “It’s nice to do something for someone that has it worst than us.” Very humbling to hear the kids from the slums of Bogota say something like this.

The second act of gratitude, came in a pair. Richard Sarmiento who has been donating his home/magic school called “Escuela de Artes Mágicas de Bogotá” had a surprise for the kids, he invited them to have a traditional meal “Tamal con chocolate” as a thank you and to celebrate the end of the year of activities there.

That day we also had class, and the kids had a homework to present; their very own magic book. They had to write down all the tricks they had learnt. All the magic books were amazing, but there was one that stood out, Tamara’s. She put A LOT of work into it, she bought color sheets of paper, glued them together with a hand made cover, it is beautiful, but it’s what you find inside which is the most stunning, all the tricks have accompanying photographs, and the first couple of pages on it, are a gratitude letter, translated bellow.

I made this book with the great knowledge that I have gained in the magic club. Each one of the illusions and the things that you will find here are like a bright light or hope to continue in this nice art: magic. Magic for me is reality, because in it I find peace, serenity and smiles of thousands of people that, thanks to it, have fun and live a joyful moment.

 

I want to tell you that I’m happy because I have great peers in the magic club and some excellent teachers, that with their way of teaching have made us live wonderful moments.

 

I like to deeply thank, with all my heart, everyone that has helped me since I started in this wonderful world of magic. First I would like to thank God because he keeps me alive and because he sent me these wonderful angels to guide me and never leave me alone. To my grand mother because she’s always looking out for my process in the magic club and because she loves what I do.

 

To my teacher Carlos (Mentor) because he is like our mirror, someone that motivates us to have a good future thanks to magic, and also because he has taught me to be a person and he also looks out for me.

 

Also I would like to thank him because thanks to him I felt what it is like to see some one smile and be happy, and for all those wonderful moments that we have lived together with my peers at the magic club.

 

I would also like to thank Ryan Bart, because he was the one that started this magic club and with him we lived a wonderful experience in the hospital, performing magic for children and grown ups that really needed it, a lot, and continue to need it.

 

Now I want to sincerely thank Richard Sarmiento for teaching us many important things, for being a good person, and because every single word he says is changing our way of thinking. Also because he is like a light we have to follow until the end and because he knows how to teach and correct us. Besides he has donated his magic school for us so that we can learn better.

 

To Jorge for teaching us everything he knows and giving us his time.

And last but not least, I would like to thank:

Tom Verner, Gustavo Lorgia, Fundación Bella Flor, Conectando Sonrisas, Magos sin fronteras, Escuela de Artes Mágicas de Bogotá, And everyone else that helped us.

I love you very much, Tamra Jiménez.

Reading this was very very moving, it’s pure gratitude. Acts like this strengthen our believe that magic is an effective tool to create social change.

So, THANK YOU to everyone that was contributed to magicians without borders and the continuation of our projects in India, El Salvador, Colombia and everywhere else we have been and may go.

From left to right, Richar Sarmiento (Owner of Escuela de Artes Mágicas de Bogotá), Tamara Jiménez, Carlos López (Mentor)