Building Community

Children of the Sun

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Sni-chan Kaak'al which in the Chol Mayan language means Children of the Sun, is an initiative that provides educational opportunities for the mayan children of El Naranjo village in Chiapas, Mexico. The village is nested inside a national park above the ancient mayan city of Palenque. Children of the Sun is a work in progress, an initiative for the children which is creating community amongst the adults, building bridges between cultures and age groups, facilitating learning and healing for children , their families and the people who visit. Held by the forest, by the waterfalls, the hummingbirds and the spirit of the ancients, the project opens a rare window into a world of mysticism and deep ecology for anyone who becomes involved for a day, a week or a lifetime.

Videos by Julia Gorbach

Our Mission

The shamanic retreats we lead in Palenque as well as other selected events and digital products of Ixchel Healing Arts, fundraise to finance workshops and other educational opportunities for the children of El Naranjo. The programs are based on Mayan traditional modern practices, which include subjects like herbal medicine, jungle ecology , art and crafts, music, sport and more so the Mayan children can stay connected to their roots. From time to time we also host guest teachers to facilitate appreciation for diversity and an organic exchange with the outside world.

External proposals for additional programs are vetted by the project coordinators and by the children themselves who play a vital role in choosing what they wish to learn.

The people who come to the retreats spend time working with the children on the current projects , and also contribute financially because 20 % of the retreat profit is reinvested into the project.

To learn more, you can watch our video series here . The videos were taken in the early stages of the project. Sign up to Ixchel Healing Arts newsletter or get in touch for latest updates, or gift yourself the experience of a lifetime while giving back, join us on one of our Mexican retreats!

Vision

The project was born from the dream of Fidencio Cruz, resident of El Naranjo, licensed tour guide of the UNESCO archeological site and founder of Fidel Tours agency.

Concerned about the loss of culture , values and traditional skills amongst the new generations , Fidencio partnered with Cinzia Sarigu ( hey that would be me! ) , permaculture designer and mayan cosmology expert from Ixchel Healing Arts, to create an educational program that would weave ancient and modern mayan wisdom with a touch of international influence, like when the children wanted to learn English. The children continue to guide us to what they are most interested in learning. The project which has been incubating since 2012, was launched in February 2022 and it's been going strong since, thanks to the incredible work and dedication of both the volunteers and the children. There have been many challenges but also many miracles along the way. The land and the spirit of the ancestors are supporting the project and the children are thriving.

Our long term vision is to support the children in discovering where their gifts and aspirations reside and help them access further education opportunities. We are therefore in the process of creating a fund for ongoing financial support for the family of children that are coming of age for high school, to allow them to travel to the nearby towns and cities and attend school. Get in touch to find out how to become a sponsor.

Program

Children of the Sun is run entirely by volunteers.

So far the children had regular classes and ad hoc workshops in the following subjects:

Music, poetry and improvisation

Poc ta poc ( the pre hispanic ball game)

Mayan cosmology storytelling

Mayan cosmology: science, mathematics , ecology and spirituality

Mayan pre hispanic art and music

Flute making workshop utilising bamboo harvested from the jungle and recycled materials

Herbal medicine identification and remedies preparation

Traditional weaving

English classes

Dreamcatchers making workshop with jungle materials

Mandala making

We liaised with the INAH ( National Institute for Archeology and History) and the children have been invited to attend a daily program during the summer holidays at the local archeological museum. They were also invited by the local authorities to participate in the yearly Spring festivals to represent the young team in the Poc ta poc ( pre-hispanic ball game).

We continue to liaise with local and regional partners to provide further opportunities for the children.

In 2025 some new workshops will be on offer:

Wildlife and pre-hispanic painting and murals ( with a new teacher)

Tunkul making ( pre-hispanic Mayan drums)

Jungle ecology and water biology ( with a new teacher)

We are in a conversation with the local elders, master stone and wood carvers and leather engravers to pass their legacy onto the new generations and preserve an extraordinary dying art.

We are also looking for a young person to teach video making and photography for mobile phones and graphic design, to encourage the children to record what they're learning and create a database of ecological wisdom to share with other communities.

Fundraising

Fundraising so far has come entirely from Ixchel Healing Arts and the generosity of people who attend Cinzia's shamanic retreats, courses and events. The long term plan is for the project to be self reliant by diversifying fundraising opportunities.

The children started making crafts using the techniques they are learning at the workshops. They collect seeds, vines and other materials from the jungle and make beautiful dreamcatchers to sell at the archeological site, bringing some extra cash to their families. It's a simple but significant beginning to break the spell of the loss of culture and recover the craftsmanship of their grandfathers who were gifted master crafters of stone, wood, leather and all jungle treasures.

Get Involved

There are many ways to get involved from the comfort of your home and by embarking on the adventure of a lifetime...coming to the jungle!

Sign up to our retreats in Palenque, meet the children and fundraise for the project. You can find upcoming retreats on the Retreats page of this website, or by signing up to my newsletter at the bottom of the page

VOLUNTEERING

We have volunteering opportunities in different areas and incredible perks to offer our gratitude.

If you volunteer in the village you receive full board accommodation with a mayan family and free archeology and wildlife tours off the beaten path.

If you volunteer online you receive free online Shamanic Sessions and Mayan Cosmology readings

Volunteering opportunities online

Social media managers and content creators

Fundraisers ( go fund & similar campaign coordinators )

Volunteering opportunities on site

Permaculture designers and teachers

Language teachers

Art teachers

Math and science teachers

Sport teachers

Music and performing arts teachers

Film makers and photographers

Experienced project managers and coordinators

PARTNERSHIPS

We also seek partnership with NGOs, ethical tour companies, other ethical companies, schools and other educational establishments. You can share our link on your website, start a fundraising campaign, organise a work exchange for your team, bring a class and much more.

SHARE OUR LINK

A simple yet great way to support Children of the Sun is to share our link on social media, talk about us and connect us to people who can support, collaborate etc.

BUY OUR CALENDAR

The Mayan Calendar 2025 is a digital item that takes you through the year with the insights from the Mayan energy of each day, and it provides information about how the calendar work, how to apply the wisdom to your daily life, and it even contains a meditation to align with the sacred energies each day.

Profits from the calendar support the Children of the Sun project.

BECOME A SPONSOR

We are in the process of creating a fund for ongoing financial support for the family of children that are coming of age for high school, to allow them to travel to the nearby towns and cities and attend school. Get in touch to find out how to become a sponsor or if you think you can help us setting up the scheme.