Save These Mexican Cultural Projects Now

Two Mexican cultural projects are facing critical moments and have launched online fundraising campaigns to sustain their activities. The Puerto Aventuras Cultural Center in Quintana Roo and the children's podcast "Sam y el Despacho de la Curiosidad" have requested support through GoFundMe, with the goal of recovering community gathering spaces and producing educational content.

Puerto Aventuras, a municipality of Playa del Carmen, was affected by Hurricane Beryl in July 2024. The meteorological impact caused severe damage to the local Cultural Center, a site where sports, artistic, religious, and academic activities have been held for years. This space is considered a point of community cohesion, as it has served to strengthen the area's identity and the residents' sense of belonging.

Following the emergency, neighbors and users decided to organize a fundraising campaign on the GoFundMe platform, with the goal of raising one million pesos. The funds raised will be managed by the Puerto Aventuras Homeowners Association. The organizers stated that the funds will be used to repair facilities, guarantee safe conditions for the public, and sustain projects intended for children, youth, and adults. They also indicated that "every donation, no matter how small it may seem, makes a big difference for their community."

In parallel, a second fundraiser is being promoted from Mexico City. The podcast "Sam y el Despacho de la Curiosidad" launched its first season in 2024, composed of eight episodes. The program is aimed at children aged 3 to 8 and covers diverse topics, from the origin of food to animal communication. Through stories, Sam, accompanied by her dog Mechudo, embarks on adventures designed to stimulate the imagination and interest of children in exploring the world.

Martha Herrera Lasso González, the project's creator, explained in information for NotiPress that the production has been developed with dedication and effort, seeking to provide children with content designed to foster creativity, reflection, and critical thinking. "We love to imagine that this content will offer them tools to explore their curious and creative side – children who question, who take initiative, and who develop their emotional and analytical intelligence from an early age," she expressed.

The first season was disseminated without additional economic support, which led the promoters to turn to the same crowdfunding platform with a goal of 500,000 pesos. The resources aim to cover production costs and allow the podcast to continue reaching new audiences.