VE Blog

By Mira Fil

I remember not being a fervent reader in my younger years. I never had difficulties reading and books were always available to me, but for some reason my reading experience was limited to school literature and the occasional children’s novel at home.

It was only in high school that I discovered a deep affinity for reading. The source of my enthusiasm was my excellent English literature teacher. I have since been immersed in the wonderful world of books, never breaking the chain of literature that accompanies me through the years.

Therefore I was very excited to learn about VE’s summer reading program ¡Vamos a Leer! . The prospect of being part of a child’s journey into literature elevated my spirits. This week saw the third round of the program’s implementation.

In simple terms, Vamos aims to motivate and encourage children at social risk to improve their reading skills. It’s been implemented in three homes and one community centre, each with specific needs and requirements.

At Entre Todas, a girls-only institution, emotional instability and violence are commonplace. But the participating volunteers are reporting of great successes. Virginia Benedetto, who is in charge of the program, says: “It is great to see the girls read. They ask for more books, even after reaching their goals. The tias at Entre Todas say they have seen the girls read at different moments of the day. We want to keep motivating the girls and continue finding books they like. I hope we can show them that reading is fun”.

The biggest number of participants has crystallized in the community centre of Los Navios. The group of 26 has been divided into three groups, depending on their abilities. Challenges include erratic participation and continuity, since the children are not allowed to take books home.

Nonetheless, success has been evident. Reading materials include everything from Dr. Seuss to Sherlock Homes to Twilight, and some kids turned out to be very enthusiastic readers.

At hogar Pléyades, ¡Vamos a Leer! has been implemented with utmost ease and success. Jack Richardson, a volunteer from England, comments: "With no exceptions the children at Pleyades love participating in Vamos. They are very competitive and each wants more stickers [prize for the completion of a book] than their friends. They take the project very seriously and it's a joy listening to them read." 

White us volunteers aren't quite literacy experts, the attention and encouragement we give the children obviously goes a long way. And all of us- kids and volunteers included - are looking forward to the carnival celebration when Vamos ends for the summer!

By Mira Fil

What’s the meaning of life? It’s a topic of many a discussion, one of which I happened to be part of on New Year’s Eve, of all nights. January 31^st seems to me a very appropriate day to be musing over life and its purpose. It connotes a finality like no other day of the year. People like to spend this day reflecting on the past year. Some, like me, mull on the couch watching some year-summarizing show.

Breaking my lifelong habit I did not watch TV on the 31^st. To make up for this shortcoming here are some of the events that influenced my decision to join a volunteer organization:

Children are often the prime victims of war. Israel’s air strike on Gaza in January 2009 was no exception. Even though Israel denied causing the death of civilians, human rights organizations condemned the maneuver. Children have the right to live in a peaceful environment. And volunteers are able to enforce this right by making communities of developing countries aware of it.  

In April the story of a Mexican boy who died from influenza reached the world. Mexico rapidly succumbed to the deadly effects of the swine flu, which spread to other parts of the world. On June 11, the World Health Organization declared the disease a global pandemic. What chances did the children of Chile have considering the country’s poor health system?

Iran made big news in June when Mahmoud Ahmadinejad got re-elected under suspicion of vote rigging. Opposition protests flared up and media access into the country is restricted. Individuals broadcast hourly updates via the likes of Twitter and YouTube. What a powerful example of the new media’s force as an effective tool of news delivery. Being a journalist, democracy and free media is high up on my list of basic human rights. I decided to pass on my knowledge and convictions to children who don’t have daily access to the Internet.

President Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in October. This sparked controversy as some argued that he won for good intentions instead of achievement. My idea of volunteering is to contribute to the idea of world peace on a micro-level.

As far as global events go, I as a humble citizen of the world can only observe and react. So if my actions only have a limited impact on the comings and goings of life, why am I here?

Needless to say, our New Year’s discussion didn’t result in unanimous agreement. I, for my part, believe that the meaning of every person’s life is twofold.

One: write your story. When life stories interfold they bring about change, which leads to the second purpose: assist others in writing theirs. In the course of life we forget many encounters. But those that last, those with an impact on our lives, help to move our story forward in some way, so that at the end we have something to pass on. VEGlobal fulfils this purpose.

I would like to say that we solved the big mystery of life. In hindsight let’s just say we added to the pool of already existing answers.

By Mira Fil

We face social injustice and poverty every day, yet few of us decide to take action. No doubt everyone would agree that being socially active is not an easy task. Of course not everyone has the time or money to travel to a far-off land and dedicate heart and soul to social work. But one has to admit that there’s always a way to contribute.

If going out is not your idea of a charitable activity, prepare to be surprised. Last week, the citizens of Santiago (Gringos and natives alike) demonstrated how a small step can go a long way. VEGlobal could not have asked for a better turn-out at last Wednesday’s fundraising fiesta. The Happy Hour Fundraiser, that took place at California Cantina, saw more than 100 guests come and go. While an intricate specials menu and five-star raffle kept the crowd entertained, dedicated volunteers managed to raise 65.200 Chilean pesos (that’s $419!).

Attending a VEGlobal fundraising event for the first time I – as a new volunteer – realized the true importance of word-of-mouth promotion.

One young social worker, Jessica, met our director of Resource Development, Matt, two weeks ago and accepted his invitation because she wanted “to support a good cause”. Her friend, Meghan, acknowledged Chile’s social injustice but thought that Chile is somewhere in the middle:

“I know that it [social injustice] exists but to be honest I think there are countries who are far worse off than Chile.” However, both applauded VEGlobal’s work.

They agreed that VE was a good place to start asking questions about social injustice and discuss solutions.

Claudio Retamal, a Chilean journalist who won the first raffle draw, said that social injustice in Chile was well hidden: “No one is going to force statistics of poverty levels onto you. One has to go and see the difference with one’s own eyes. Our children can’t afford to travel the world. The close contact to volunteers opens their eyes to new cultures and motivates them to learn more. The volunteers offer them a different reality.”

A couple of days ago I have experienced for myself the true meaning of Claudio’s words. I work at a community centre called Los Navios and we were given the opportunity to present VEGlobal at a summer workshops event early this week. The kids’ enthusiasm and curiosity baffled me. My co-volunteer, Lucia, and I were bombarded with questions of every nature. Often four or five children spoke at once so that questions and answers would go under in the clamor of voices.

We felt that their thirst of knowledge should be taken advantage of and suggested a culture-exchange workshop: in exchange for their presence we will teach them the customs and traditions of our country along with what we know of other cultures we’ve been to and taken part in. It remains seen if any of them actually shows up at the centre; today, at least, my glass is half full.

By Meghan Vooris

VE Volunteer Meghan VoorisIn September 2009, I arrived in Santiago to volunteer in a hogar with adolescent teenage girls. I had been working in the field of social work for the last 6 years, in a variety of jobs working with troubled children, teenagers and adults. While I wanted to live and work abroad, I also wanted to also have a purpose. I knew Chile had the biggest wealth gap in Latin America, but I didn't know what that looked like up close. I didn't know anyone's name, I didn't know how a child in a hogar in Santiago`s “worst neighborhood” liked to brush her hair, what colors she liked to paint with, or most importantly, what brought her happiness. 

So in coming to VE, I found myself in a new place very quickly. VE volunteers come from all over the world to work with children who may have faced some form of serious trauma. These traumas include but are not limited to sexual, mental, physical and emotional abuse, medical and educational neglect, homelessness, substance abuse, domestic violence, eating disorders, self-harming behaviors, and suicidal ideation. The resulting disorders and problems that the children have as a result can be exceedingly difficult to deal with as a volunteer. Many volunteers experience frustration, loneliness, and a sense of helplessness when they are unable to achieve an expected response from a child.

After spending a week here, I was graciously asked to prepare a volunteer training session on strategies of working with troubled children. I spent several weeks skimming articles, taking notes and spun in circles. I started to think about different situations from my life, themes, stories, experiences I had with the children I had known. I can picture them all well, smiling faces, sad faces, empty swollen faces, my memory is intertwined with the lives of the people I have known. And with that last spinning thought, I began to prepare my presentation.

During the presentation, I taught a bit about social work, addressing the idea that social work is not a cure or a simple answer. Rather, it is a systemic approach to social challenges and breaking cycles of abuse, poverty and dis-empowerment . These same people will continue to live their own lives once the system of social work care has ended. Therefore we become a guiding force; we open doors that didn't exist before, clearing broken paths so they can walk towards a better future. 

Kids from Domingo Savio participating in a Gingerbread House tallerIn this process, social workers trudge through other people's darkest and deepest wounds  on a daily basis and I quickly realized VE volunteers do as well. Our volunteers need support, understanding, and clear methods to fully grasp the daily conflicts in our work. Many times there is not a good answer, but there is always support and room for growth. So we learned that day to create answers from the questions you ask. In learning to be a volunteer with VE, it is important to remember small steps. I am not here to change the life of the 17 year old girl that hugs me everyday I go to the hogar. I am here to help her smile a little more each day. I am here to plant a seed. I believe Voluntarios de la Esperanza (volunteers for hope) is a good name for us. We do not solve the world´s problems, but we create room for children to find their own answers in life.

In Maria Reina Aldea, a hogar for adolescent girls, the other VE volunteers and I use this idea in different talleres that we plan and implement every week. We work on individuality through the use of creative arts. We attempt to reduce stress and laugh more through playing sports and dancing. We teach team work and cooperation through the use of challenge games. Finally, every week we bake, we introduce new desserts, sometimes from our own countries, sometimes from others, but whether its the chocolate or the Reggaeton blasting from the speakers that draws the girls in, it has definitely become their favorite.

VE Volunteer and girls from Residencia Entre Todas

So I leave this blog with the last tip I left the training at, to remember these small steps...

“in this work you have to be strong enough to know that you will not 'win' every battle; you won't 'win' every child, and you have to know how to let go and re-focus; putting your attention and efforts on those who really do benefit from your work.”



By the volunteers

In September a full class of 11 new volunteers arrived in Santiago. Read here what the volunteers have to say about themselves:

Hi, I'm Pharoah Le Feuvre, from Scotland in the UK. I will be working here in Santiago for VE both at Entre Todos and in the 'Arts and Sports' Committee. Before arriving here I was working in the energy field; first in Local Government and afterwards in a consultancy specializing in alternative energy technologies. After my time here I hope to travel in Chile, Bolivia and Peru with my new Spanish skills!

Hi! I am Eva and I am from Regensburg, a small and beautiful city in the South of Germany. I studied International Management and a Master in International Employment Relations and Human Resource Management. I work in Hogar María Reina. I am going to stay in Chile for six months..… or more (you never know ;).

I am Meghan from NY, USA. I am a licensed social worker and the two years previous to VE, I worked as a preventive family counselor. I am volunteering with VE for the next six months and am working in Hogar Aldea Reina. These girls are ages 12-18 who were removed from their homes and/or have substance abuse problems. Currently the volunteers and I are working on increasing the girls sense of self worth, creativity and individualism through art, sports, music, dance, writing and team building exercises.

My name is Angel and I grew up in Australia. I used to run camps for underprivileged kids (who were either disabled or from troubled family situations) and to volunteer as a teacher´s aide at a local school. I´ll be working with my class of autistic kids in Anakena until December.

I am Brys Stafford from Victoria, BC, Canada. I am currently taking a leave of absence from graduate school, and will be in Chile until December of this year. My volunteer work so far at Domingo Savio has kept me extremely busy to say the least!

Hey everyone! My name is Annie Rondoni, and I hail from Minneapolis, Minnesota USA. I am a recent college grad who is all too happy to be pushed out of the job market by the recent economy, in favor of working in Santiago with under-privileged children. Working at Fundacíon Pléyades has already been a joy and a challenge. Seeing as how I’ll be staying a whole year, the best could be yet to come, although these past two months would be hard to top..

Hello Everyone! I am Yasmin Salvatore, a volunteer from Italy that has been living in Amsterdam for the past five years. Since the beginning of September I have been working at Hogar Esperanza and I will work there until at least June 2010. I truly enjoy working with the babies and the oldest kids (until eight years old) of Hogar Esperanza!