Guantanamo, May 4 (ACN) Coffee with ink is an innovative initiative that uses the art of tattoo as an educational tool and awareness and seeks to reach the most vulnerable homes, through supporting children and families with creative activities that foster love and happiness.
Aydée Rodríguez Infante, coordinator of the project, explained to the Cuban News agency that the idea arose in 2023, after the approval of the family Code, and develops under the protection of the Selene group (Network of Lesbian and Bisexual Women) and the Brothers Saíz association of the province.
The name of the project reflects its essence, anyone can enjoy a coffee regardless of the place where it is, says Aydée, and the ink refers to tattoos and works of art, which include paintings and body art.
The idea of using tattoos was born from the need to generate income to support activities with children, which led Aydée and his son, Claudio Antonio Rodríguez Infante, an enthusiast of the art of tattoo, to offer small engravings at accessible prices for young people and fans.
The guild of those who paint the skin, often seen with prejudices and little visible, has great acceptance among the youth audience and even among adults who find in those drawings a form of expression, added Aydee.
Several tattoors joined the project, which not only seeks to create a space for them, but also reach communities and homes affected by domestic and gender violence.
Every third Saturday of the month, the team meets in the Brothers Saíz association and on Sundays in the private pacemaker business, under the name gallery of points and colors, to permeate the art of the tattoo on the skin of the clients.
The activities for children are carried out on the first Saturday of each month in the home of Aydée or in the house of the young creator, with the name drawing with the families, which allows infants to express themselves artistically and share significant moments with their relatives, where they are taught values and good habits.
This initiative is born from the heart and is a community, social project and with a gender approach and anyone who wishes can be integrated, adds Aydée.
It meant that the idea has positively impacted more than twenty cases of gender violence, we are here to listen to children and as far as possible, help them, he highlighted.
Café with ink has made more than 20 donations to institutions such as the Pedro Agustín Pérez Teaching Hospital, maternal homes and in the municipalities of Maisí and Baracoa, after the passage of Hurricane Óscar, which demonstrated a constant commitment to the needs of the community.
The project has the support of the Social Psychologist Norma Rita Guillard Limonta, an attached professor at the University of Havana, which helps to design games and actions that promote the emotional and social development of children, emphasizes.
More than 20 children participate, most from dysfunctional families, including two with child cerebral palsy and through group dynamics, children share their desires and concerns, often related to family stability.
Aydée highlighted the importance of paying attention to children and the need to listen to them and provide them with emotional support, especially those from dysfunctional families.
An unwanted pregnancy implies an unwanted baby, which generates problems and if this occurs in adolescence, the situation is further complicated, most parents give a phone to their children rather than attend and educate them properly, he said.
Michel Pineda Ramírez, tattoo artist, designer and founding member of coffee with ink, explains that with the project the tattoo artists are encouraged and the initiative is supported through their works, which should not be seen only as a business, but as a way of assisting children and a personal expression route.
We have presented the proposal in various locations in the province and in others such as Santiago de Cuba and knowing their purpose, many people are motivated and added, they even donate toys for recreational activities with children, he says.
Coffee with ink is more than an initiative, it is a community movement that seeks to empower new generations and provide them with tools to build a peaceful future, with an inclusive approach and invites all interested parties to join this mission of transforming lives through art.
