This is a question I have been asking myself a lot lately. A friend of mine and I have discussed it ad nauseum-- why do people volunteer, who is really benefitting, what is UBECI in particular doing that is really making a difference, etc. This conversation basically stemmed from the fact that many of us know our volunteer organization needs help, and we aren´t really sure how to get it.
UBECI has some issues, a severe lack of funds being the main one. The working staff is clearly not paid very much, since sometimes they can barely afford a $1 meal if we go out between markets. So the staff does as much work as they are paid to do, it seems. They can´t spend as much time planning as they should, which results in disorganization and "didactic" activites that don´t really teach anything.
When a friend of mine asked one of the staff members about it--about what UBECI is really doing--he replied "we give kids a place to be kids." Which is true. UBECI´s intentions are very, very good. The staff obviously wouldn´t be there if they didn´t care, since it is pretty obvious to us that their financial situation is tight. But, because we do not have the time to plan or the money for better resources, UBECI can only cater to very small children--children who are in the markets (bored, distracting to working adults) but probably aren´t actually working themselves. The people we miss are the 10-to-15-year-olds, Í think--the ones who really need a break. We actually had a brief conversation with one of the UBECI staff members about self-sufficiency and suggested that we find older youth to help us out and be leaders. For now, with the amount of people and resources we have, I think that´s all we can do.
One of UBECI´s main objectives, theoretically, is to convey the importance of education, values, and setting goals. Those things are not addressed at all by what we do. And I don´t think it´s anybody´s fault. Like I said, UBECI has crappy stuff and no money. The books we have are old and ripped, we use centimeter-long crayons and have one "didactic game": Chutes and Ladders. Personally, I feel like using supplies like this sends kids the message that these kinds of things are what they deserve.
As far as I can tell, very few people in Quito even know UBECI exists, and it relies on donations from the volunteers. It is a very, very tiny organization, but that is definitely not a reason for it not to be successful. I really think they would benefit from a sister city or partner school somewhere, or some company--locally or internationally--that can provide them with publicity and resources. And even if they can´t bring in more money through publicizing, they could certainly bring in more volunteers, which could lead to more programs and more success.
Other than provide the volunteers and pay a stipend to the host families, how does IVHQ fit into the larger scheme? Does it provide any monetary support to UBECI?
ReplyDeleteVirginia Brown asked me to pass this along. She just spent some time in Liberia and was disheartened regarding the poverty around her--
ReplyDelete"One of the Liberians told me when I got down about it there, "Virginia, remember, it is a marathon, not a sprint, we will get there." I repeat that to myself now all the time, Caitlin needs to remember those words."
I just finished reading 'Half the Sky.' READ IT. It's not exactly what you're talking about, but it is a lot about grassroots organizing, and how Americans/Westerners/what-ever-you-want-to-call-us can play into that. It talks about how vital it is that grassroots orgs are led by locals, but also how important it is for us (non-locals) to see the world, understand the poverty, experience other ways of living. and it talks A LOT about social entrepreneurs and how a little inspiration and dedication can go a LONG way. maybe that'll be you :) and my other unrelated thought is that one of my toughest lessons learned in traveling and working in under funded orgs is to watch and ask questions and watch some more. i'm good at coming up with solutions, but in the end, they often ended up being complicated or unsustainable. we (volunteers) did get a few good ideas and new initiatives going, though, so it's a tricky balance between listening and learning and problem solving. that's a pretty fantastic thing about you being there longer than two weeks, you'll have SO much more perspective than a lot of other people had. can't wait to talk about these things when you return!!
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