Ecuador: Play and art to educate on health and antibiotic resistance

2025-06-25

On the morning of May 14, the Casa de la Provincia de Cuenca in Ecuador was transformed into a magical space where play was intertwined to give life to a unique festival, where children discovered the interrelationships between health, water, food and antibiotic resistance from an innovative, profound and hopeful point of view.

It was not an isolated event, but the culmination of a collective process that has been woven from the project of the Alforja or educational saddlebag, school health and microbial world, together with educators, educational units, students. For years, workshops and trainings have been held to strengthen teachers and communities to build, through play and art, creative and sensitive responses to the challenges of antibiotic resistance and care for the planet.

A festival that is much more than a meeting

The Game, Art and Health Festival was held within the framework of the International Meeting on Water, Food and Antibiotics, where children, artists and educators were the main protagonists of the dialogue. Here converged a living process, a network of knowledge and experiences that demonstrates that solutions to the great challenges of health and environment are built collectively, with respect, creativity and commitment.

More than 220 participants, including children, families, teachers, artists and representatives of organizations from Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, Peru and Ecuador, shared an unforgettable day organized by ReAct Latin America, Fundación Niño a Niño, Agrupación Cultural Canchimalos, Yaggu and Caminos del Agua.

Play, art and joy not only educate: they heal, unite and open paths towards a more humane, inclusive and affective education. In this space, children stopped being passive recipients to become active agents, teachers and guardians of their health and that of their communities.

Throughout the day, illustrations of the work “A man who loves with all his bacteria” by Ecuadorian artist Vilma Vargas were exhibited, along with educational materials from ReAct Latin America. These resources accompanied learning, with the understanding of complex scientific concepts about bacteria and antibiotics, making knowledge accessible to all ages. The educational materials addressed key topics such as bacteria and their role in health, as well as the importance of the appropriate use of antibiotics.

Art: a bridge for awareness and education

The day began with a symbolic act of welcome, where Gladys Cantos, from the Child-to-Child Foundation, invited to dive into the game with an open heart. And so began a day where art and pedagogy were intertwined.

The play “The Journey of the Flying Rivers”, performed by the artist Naty Castro, took us to the Amazon without leaving the place. The story reminded us of the vital connection between nature and our health, emphasizing an urgent truth: “without jungle there is no life”, and we were all summoned to be its guardians.

Learning is also a game

La Casa de la Provincia was transformed into a playground of knowledge. Eight stations, arranged in tents, offered an educational, experiential and deeply playful experience. Each station was energized by girls, boys and young people, in a participatory methodology that broke the traditional schemes: they not only listened, they also taught.

The stations were:

• Dormouse-Dormouse
• Three in a Line
•  Microbial World
• To the Water
• San Bendito (scientific experiments)
• Healthy Eating Diagnosis
• Healthy Eating
• Traditional games

The exhibitors from the Vincentian schools Daniel Hermida and INEBHYE showed how much they had learned and how they could teach it.

They told us about bacteria, the importance of water, microbiota, healthy eating, ancestral knowledge and more. Their small voices said big things.

“Al Agua”: A game that raises awareness and teaches

The “Al Agua” station was a space for learning and deep reflection. Twelve girls and boys, together with their teacher Belén Juca, presented a playful proposal of the Alforja Educativa to raise awareness about the use of water. They explained the rules, objectives and learning points of the game, and invited the children to play and take care. The impact was such that many attendees took the printed game with them, ready to replicate it in their schools and communities. Thus, what was born in a festival tent now has the potential to reach hundreds of classrooms, multiplying its message.

This experience showed how play, beyond fun, can be a powerful educational strategy for promoting physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health.

Teacher Belen Juca and her students from the INHEBY School have fun while learning about health care with the “Al Agua” game.

Healthy food and ancestral knowledge: a pillar for prevention

Food is another fundamental axis for strengthening health and preventing AMR. Incorporating ancestral knowledge in food education not only promotes healthy habits, but also strengthens cultural identity and respect for the environment.

this festival, we emphasized the importance of healthy food, not only for people but also for the Earth. We rescued ancestral foods, based on what the environment offers us, and we learned that conscious eating is fundamental for our health and that of the planet.

Art: a bridge for awareness and education

The afternoon session provided us with a space for deep and enriching dialogue. A panel with guest educators from Colombia and Ecuador opened a window into the methodological bases of play as an educational and transformative tool. Their reflections reminded us that play is not only a right, but a powerful strategy to learn, heal and build community.

The panel, entitled “Conceptual and Methodological Foundations of Play in Education and Health”, aimed to generate a collective reflection on the role of play and art as essential tools in educational and health processes. With a critical look at current challenges such as technological irruption, social fragmentation and the loss of intergenerational links, the urgency of recovering playful spaces as integrating practices was emphasized. The outstanding educator Eliana Bojorque, moderator of the meeting and rector of the La Asunción Educational Unit, said: “Play activates community bonds, generates emotional wellbeing and prevents isolation”.

The closing was a moment of pure emotion and communion. Through oral storytelling, stories were woven that awakened the imagination and the heart. Then, girls, boys and young people joined in a vibrant chorus, singing to the water with songs by the group Sikuris from the University of Cuenca and the song “Corre aguita niña” by physician-artist Ulises Freire. This music, charged with meaning and beauty, reminded us of the importance of caring for water, source of life and health.

Bacteria, health and the appropriate use of antibiotics

The Game, Art and Health Festival was much more than an event. It was a transformational experience where bacteria, those tiny and invisible beings became the protagonists of the day. We learned that not all of them are bad, that many help us to be healthy and that we should take care of them with a varied and natural diet. We reflected on the appropriate use of antibiotics: only when they are really necessary, to prevent them from losing their power and protect our health.

Jazmin Moyano, from ReAct Latin America shares with the children and teachers the educational materials of the Alforja Educativa, School Health and Microbial World project.

It left us with a clear lesson: we need to expand the exercise of the right to play in a safe environment in all schools, neighborhoods and communities. Play should not be a luxury, but a fundamental tool for wellbeing and social transformation.

At the end of the day, we were certain that play heals, art unites and joy educates. That it is possible to imagine and build a more humane, affective and committed to life education. And that if we play together, with awareness and tenderness, we can sow the foundations of a more just, healthy and peaceful world.