Trans Children of the Aventura T club participate in a camp on the beach

Ten children and adolescents participated in the Aventura T camp on the beach, thanks to the support of the Global Equality Fund of the US Embassy, along with the Summer Colonies. The activity was organized by the community area of OTD Chile and coordinated by Luka Suban and Carol Barragán.

After the monthly workshops that were held during 2018, Club Aventura T completed its activities with a camp in the Summer Colonies of Las Cruces Beach, on the central coast of Chile. There, 10 children participated in the activities that began on Monday, January 21 and ended on Thursday, June 24.

Children and young people between 8 and 17 years participated in the activities planned by the team consisting of Professor Luka Suban, psychologist Carol Barragán, and counselor Constanza de la Cerda.

“The idea was that the kids could share with peers, get together, have fun, with playful and educational activities to continue with the dynamics we have used in the workshop over the past year,” said Luka Suban. “All our activities are thought, intentional, with an objective that we reflect in a group”.

In the activities, there are pairs and referents that allow children to live and express their identity without feeling alone or isolated. “They spend a long time, in schools, in their families, being the only trans person, but in these workshops, they see pairs and this camp was a space for them to share.”

It was a challenge to Luka to join the organization of this camp, but feel the satisfaction of being part of a transformative project. “I feel joy and a great gratification to see that all that time, dedication and effort bear fruit. Seeing children playing, laughing, being free and happy without being judged, is priceless. ”

“For them, life will be easier, they can express themselves and they are recognized by their surroundings. This makes their growth have full of love that will help them a lot. Many of us, adults, we did not even know that there other trans people in the world, “he said.

Among manual activities, such as the Unicorn Queer, to learn about sexual and gender diversity; or the PlasmarT, where they had to be represented to work the self-perception of each one; readings, games, visits, and walks were the activities that were carried out in those days.

For the future, they hope to continue with their activities. Likewise, in the coming months, a seminar will be convened on the experience of transgender children in the country.

Traslation: Mariana Galvez y Lilly Parra.