All I can say is WOW! I am so thankful I made the decision to visit the MIM “Recycled Orchestra” about young adults from Cateura, Paraguay; considered one of the poorest slums in Latin America.  The village itself is a “mound” of garbage and for young adults the future is not bright.

“A garbage picker named Nicolás Gómez (known as “Cola”) found a piece of trash that resembled a violin and brought it to musician Favio Chávez. Using other objects collected from the dump, the pair constructed a functional violin in a place where a real violin is worth more than a house. Using items gleaned completely from the dump, the pair then built a cello, a flute, a drum, and suddenly had a wild idea: could a children’s orchestra be born in one of the most depressed areas in the world? As you can guess, the answer was yes.”

Here is a guitar, made from a cookie/cake sheet and wood from the Cateura “trash.”

In honor of Cateura, Paraguay, the MIM chefs created one of two dishes for the MIM Restaurant.  This is a photo I captured of my lunch at the MIM; I must admit, it was delicious!

The MIM is a magnificent place; I highly recommend it. Please note, there is absolutely no way to view the museum in one day! Honest! Arizona is so very blessed to have this museum in their back yard!