Origami Bridges the Language Barrier

by Judith Fryer
(Collegeville, PA USA)

A year ago I went to Cuba with a church visitation group. I took along a supply of paper and pre-folded flapping birds to hand out to the children. At one church I ran out of the pre-folded ones and was folding as fast as I could, while a group of children stood around me. One little boy kept his hand on the paper I was folding, indicating that he wanted that bird! A number of adults looked on, enjoying the activity. When it was time to leave, I went outside, followed by several children, and while the rest of our group got into the van, I was still standing on the sidewalk folding, to the great amusement of the rest of the group.

(It is extremely difficult for Americans to get permission from the U.S. government to go to Cuba. The people were so happy to know that we cared about them.)