Lower Belen , one of Peru’s most distressed communities, sits at the edge of Iquitos , the world’s largest city unreachable by road. Peruvian health officials have referred to Belen as “the hell of Peru” because of its many problems—lack of clean water, sanitation, adequate health care, education and employment, high rates of illness, violence, alcoholism, drug abuse and teen pregnancy. It sits in the floodplain of the Itaya River, and for 5 months of the year is inundated by floodwaters. In 2004, Gesundheit! and Bolaroja clowns, in a meeting with Belen citizens, conceived the Belen Project, a collaborative effort to energize residents in achieving their dreams for a healthier, happier community. From the original decision to paint every house in Lower Belen, the project has evolved to include workshops for children in art, dance and music; mural painting; community health outreach programs; parades, and, in 2010, the purchase of a community center, Belen’s first. The Belen Network now consists of a variety of organizations, (Bolaroja, Gesundheit!, Amazon Promise, Doctors for Orphans, La Restinga, Selva Amazonica, Pan American Health Organization, and others) whose intention is to provide the community with support and facilitation of Belen’s development. Clowning is the central action through which we connect with the community. Our experience working and playing in Belen has taught us much, particularly the crucial necessity of coupling our intentions with the performance of deep collaborative social action. Whatever else the Belen Project is, it is also an exploration of the social dimensions of individual and community health. Play and fun, in joy and love increases social participation, creates safety, and enhances optimism. Caring actions while working together are contagious. Caring clowns are cared for by Belen’s people. Every year they will continue the work of previous years: house painting, murals, workshops, clowning, community health outreach. The Festival begin to involve other realities of Iquitis like hospices, mental disease centers and other place where somebody need to be hear.