Bag&block or how to turn lego into jewellery

A few days ago, while I was scrolling through Instagram, I came across a news item about some special bags. They were made with lego pieces! And not only that, the people who made them were special people who I am more than sure have more than a few of the necessary competences to be part of our P.E. community.

This is the Bag&Block brand, which started more than 20 years ago in France.

BAG&BLOCK’s goal is to involve as many people with severe and long-term mental illnesses as possible in the different production processes of our bags; to this end, we collaborate with organisations that guide this group in developing a professional career that will help them in their integration into society.

The team behind this idea is Fundación Intras and Salud Mental Zamora. This Foundation is a non-profit organisation created in 1994. It has a team of almost 600 professionals, who accompany people with mental health problems in the recovery of their life projects. They offer different professional services to meet their needs. They work in 6 provinces of Castilla y León (Valladolid, Zamora, Salamanca, Burgos, Palencia and Ávila), in Madrid and in a network with entities all over Europe through the development of projects.

One of the products made by people with mental health problems is a type of bag that is sustainable, resistant, very original and handmade with a lot of patience. To make them, they first create a flexible and resistant framework with lego blocks, then they place the metal pieces and, finally, they join the sides with threads and place the inner lining. One of Bag&Block’s objectives is to create bags with a different type of material to what we are used to, and to propose a new concept of personalisation where each customer can give free rein to their creativity by changing their bag whenever they wish.

You have to know that nowadays the production of a bag takes an average of five hours of work and that when they started to produce, back in 2006, the average number of hours was 40. Since then, many tests, prototypes and improvements have been carried out until reaching what we can acquire today, quality, sustainability, originality and comfort.

The technique of producing bags is safe for the people who make them and is also a way of keeping them busy while helping them to keep their psychomotor system active.

There are many models, just have a look here or here, and even almost from scratch to make your favourite model, just enter here and here, and get your imagination going. Also, you should know that the Bag&Block bags allow you to put on and take off lego blocks so you can adapt the bag to whatever you are wearing at the time and give free rein to your creativity. Oh, and the pieces are also compatible with Megablock and other standard brands.

If you want more information, I invite you to visit their website, their Instagram account or their facebook account.

By the way, it’s already April and Easter is just around the corner.

Entrepreneurship4All (English)

Here you have Entrepreneurship4All. It is an innovative digital learning ecosystem that supports entrepreneurs in developing essential skills, navigating digital and green transitions, and building financial resilience. It is learner-centered approach initiative that offers:

  • Inclusive learning: tailored resources for diverse audiences, including women entrepreneurs.
  • Hands-on experience: tools to turn ideas into action and grow new or existing businesses.
  • Skill development: programs that enhance entrepreneurial knowledge and capacities.
  • Sustainability & agility: training for digital and sustainable transformation.
  • Financial resilience: strategies to manage financial challenges and risks.

If you look for becoming an entrepreneur, upskilling, growing your business or reflecting on your future, this is your place.

This platform offers you multiple possibilities::

  • Identify Opportunities and Innovate.
  • Master Financial Literacy.
  • Embrace Sustainabilit.
  • Build Digital Skills and Resilience.
  • Demonstrate Leadership.
  • Master Financial Planning.
  • Incorporate Digital Competence.
  • Elevate Strategic Thinking.
  • Master Financial Sustainability.
  • Foster Sustainability Innovation.
  • Advance Digital Leadership.
  • Self-Reflect and Set Goals.
  • Foster Continuous Improvement.
  • Align Values with Sustainability.
  • Adapt Digital Skills.

“The Entrepreneurship4All ecosystem will equip you with the best tools and guidance to succeed, revolving around four core topics — Digital, Entrepreneurship, Financial, and Sustainability — each designed to provide the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in today’s business world.”

“Each course is divided into micro-learning steps of approximately 10 minutes each, featuring a mix of written content, videos, interactive activities, and reflection opportunities. Each course comprises 5-7 such sessions, making it easy to learn without feeling overwhelmed.”

Please, take advantage of this opportunity and discover this platform through next link.

It is now the middle of March. Did you know it?

From Kenia to the world

A few weeks ago I rediscovered a project, ayudame3D, and an exceptional social entrepreneur, Guillermo Martínez Gauna-Vivas. I say ‘rediscovered’ because, after a bit of ‘research’, I realised that he ‘sounded familiar’, as he was one of the winners of the Princess of Girona Foundation‘s 2020 Princess of Girona Social Award. Today I would like to introduce him to you, because what he does contributes to improving the world and, above all, to changing the lives of vulnerable people.

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Together with PESS

First of all, happy new year to all of you who are taking the time to read this post today. I hope it will be a year full of joys and interesting projects that will make your day-to-day life a path to follow with enthusiasm and excitement.

I have two pieces of news for you today: on the one hand, a new programme of the Princess of Girona Foundation (Fundación Princesa de Girona – FPdGi), the Pro(f)-e diploma; and, on the other, the Alwa project, dawn in the Aymara language, which supports and promotes the development of socially responsible entrepreneurs (PESS). (more…)